Girls
by Testing1234567
Summary: Ash Ketchum might not always be as dense as people think. Rotating one-shots: Misty, May, Dawn, Serena, and wildcards. This week: Serena!
1. Misty - Campfire

Author's Note

All characters are above the age of 16.

* * *

Ash had never realized how long Misty's legs were.

Or were her shorts shorter than usual?

No, that didn't make sense, Ash thought. He must not have noticed it before. Or maybe it was the angle?

Ash tried not to stare as Misty leaned over in her chair to hold her marshmallows closer to the campfire.

"Toge, togeprri," Togepi cooed, scampering over to Misty's chair. Misty retracted her marshmallows from the fire to give Togepi her attention, smiling at the Spike Ball Pokémon. Even from a distance, Ash couldn't help but notice her viridian eyes glittering brightly as she spoke in soothing tones to Togepi.

"Pika?" Ash nearly jumped at the sound of Pikachu's voice on his right. He turned to see the Mouse Pokémon balanced on the armrest of his chair, looking at him curiously. Ash scratched the back of his head, pulling Pikachu into his lap.

"Ah, it's nothing buddy, just got distracted for a second."

Before he could strike up more of a conversation with his oldest Pokémon, it jumped out of his lap, ran over to Misty's chair, and jumped into her lap. Ash couldn't help but notice the soft depressions Pikachu's feet made on Misty's thighs as it stood up and talked to Togepi, who was already sitting there.

"Hey, Pikachu, what's up?" Misty asked sweetly. Pikachu waved at her, and then continued talking to Togepi. After a moment, both Pokémon jumped down from Misty's lap and waved to her before walking toward the tent together.

"Alright, good night you two, sleep tight," Misty called after them.

Ash watched the Pokémon from afar, wondering why Pikachu had left him in such a hurry. Just before Pikachu entered the tent, he turned and looked at Ash, and the two made eye contact. As soon as Pikachu disappeared beyond the tent flaps, Ash was very aware that he and Misty were alone.

"Mind if I scoot over?" Misty asked, already moving her chair toward him. Ash's throat felt dry. He shrugged.

Misty left no gap between their chairs as she sat down next to him. Her right forearm grazed his left, and Ash pulled his arm away quickly. As soon as he did, he sort of wished he hadn't. Misty's skin felt as soft as it looked.

"Uh, you ok?" Misty asked, noticing the jerky movement.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Ash said curtly. His mouth was really dry.

"You don't sound fine."

"I'm fine, can you just drop it?"

Misty fell silent for a second, and Ash felt guilty. He didn't understand why he was so hypersensitive to his first traveling companion all of a sudden, but he definitely didn't mean to take it out on her.

"You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

Misty's voice was soft, and the vulnerability in it melted Ash's thought process. He spoke without thinking.

"I know, Mist."

Ash cheeks burned as he felt Misty's gaze trained on him. He pretty much never called her by that nickname. He fixed his eyes on the campfire, feeling his heart beat faster. Seemingly against his will, the crackling of the fire and the chirping of the Kricketot quieted, and the night felt darker. Misty's chair was already pressed against his, but it somehow felt like she had moved closer. Ash's heart kept beating faster; he did everything he could to keep his breathing under control.

"Ash," Misty said. Her right hand was suddenly resting on his left, and Ash felt his skin burning where her fingertips were resting. The thought of how it would feel to interlace their fingers jumped into his mind, and he pushed it out. "Look at me."

Ash turned his head on reflex, which he quickly realized was a mistake. Light from the fire illuminated Misty's worried face brightly, and Ash had the sudden impulse to cup her face in his hands and tell her there was nothing to worry about. Instead, he pulled his hand away from hers and set his face.

"What?"

His flat tone seemed to shatter a bubble that had been enclosing them, and the fire roared alongside the night songs of the Bug-type Pokémon. Misty looked surprised for a second, but then she set her face, retracting her hand from Ash's lap and standing up quickly.

"Nothing. I'm going to bed," Misty said flatly, standing up and folding her chair.

Ash felt his heart sinking as Misty walked away. The image of her deep blue-green eyes, flooded with concern for him, wouldn't leave his mind. Ash stood up abruptly, knowing he wouldn't get any sleep unless he said something now.

"Wait."

"What, Ash?" Misty turned to face him, and Ash was glad she was far enough away that he couldn't see her face. It was hard enough dealing with what was going on in his own system without having to see Misty's reaction to it. Ash opened his mouth and closed it, not sure what to say.

"I'm going to bed," Misty repeated, about to turn around.

"Want to dance?"

Ash felt his heart skip two beats and race several times faster than it had before. He couldn't see Misty's reaction clearly since she was nearly at the tent, but since he was next to the campfire he knew she could see his face clearly. Ash felt exposed, and the air around him seemed to press down on him until Misty finally responded.

"Sure."

Misty turned to put her chair down next to the tent, and Ash wiped his sweaty palms on his pants while she wasn't looking. She stood up and walked toward him, and he walked toward her slightly, moving far enough away from the fire so she couldn't see his face clearly. He noticed as Misty approached that she wasn't looking at him pointedly like before; instead, she had her face turned away slightly.

Misty came to a stop in front of him and held her hand out. Ash clasped her hand with his, and the warmth from the contact seemed to spread through his body. He moved his other hand toward Misty's waist slowly.

"Wuss," Misty muttered, and Ash felt her left hand yank his right onto her waist.

Ash gulped. Misty was wearing her usual crop top, and so his hand was directly in contact with her bare skin. Her skin was soft and supple, but it didn't bulge much under the pressure of his fingers. Even though this was the outfit she usually wore, Ash had never realized how toned her waist was.

"Are you gonna lead, or do I have to do that, too?"

"I'm doing it," Ash retorted. For once, he was glad for Misty's verbal press; even in his present state of mind, he was so trained to banter back that it came naturally.

Ash stepped forward, and Misty stepped back. He stepped to the right, and she followed. He stepped back, and she stepped forward. Then he stepped left, and Misty did as well. Ash watched their feet intently, focused on not tripping and not stepping on Misty's sneakers.

Ash repeated the motions. In his opinion, this was going pretty well.

"You're terrible at this," Misty deadpanned.

Ash bristled and came to a halt, still looking down. "What do you mean?"

"You're moving in a square, like a robot."

"Isn't that what square dancing is?"

Misty laughed suddenly, and Ash's face shot up to look at her. He had thought she was mad, but she smiled widely at him, her eyes dancing. "No, that's not what it is at all."

Ash's ears reddened, and he looked away. "Can you show me, then, instead of making fun of me?"

Misty laughed again. "Why don't we try something simpler?" She gently pulled her right hand out of Ash's left, and snaked both of her arms around his neck so she could interlace her fingers. Ash didn't need to be told to put his left hand on Misty's waist.

"Now sway."

Ash continued to look down at their feet, furrowing his brow as he tried to figure out what swaying entailed.

"Relax, Ash," Misty put her right hand on his heart, and Ash looked up at her. The blue in her eyes was more prominent now, and it calmed him. He couldn't look away. Misty broke his gaze to look at her hand inquisitively, and Ash realized she had caught on to his elevated heartrate. Misty looked back up at him, her expression softer, and Ash stared back silently.

She was onto him.

Misty looked down and moved almost imperceptibly closer to his body. Ash could feel her hot breath on his chin, and for the first time he realized that Misty was small. She wasn't that much shorter than him, but her slight frame fit into his body in a way that made him want to wrap her in his arms and hold her close.

"Hey, you've got it," Misty cheered, and Ash realized he was indeed swaying, even though he was sure he would never be able to explain the motion afterward. It had come naturally to his feet while he had been concentrated on Misty. "You just needed to relax."

"Thanks for helping me relax."

Misty paused, obviously unsure of what to say. She had clearly sensed something was different with him right now, and he was reinforcing her feeling with everything he was saying. Ash realized that his unusual behavior wasn't fair to Misty. He didn't know what he was feeling, and he didn't know what he was going to do about it. Asking her to indulge him like this wasn't right.

Ash stopped his swaying, a gloom coming over him. Misty looked up at him in slight surprise. Ash bent his head slightly.

"I don't know what I'm doing, Misty – sorry for asking you to do this for me."

"It's ok," Misty responded quickly. She pulled her hands away from Ash's neck, and Ash reluctantly detached his hands from her waist. "Good night, I guess."

"Yeah. Good night," Ash replied regretfully.

Before he could react, Misty hugged him. Ash felt her cheek on his shoulder and her breath on his ear as she whispered.

"For the record, I didn't do it for you."

Misty pulled back and turned heel, disappearing into the tent quickly. Ash stared after her, his body still tingling from the embrace and his heart lightened by her words.

Ash tucked himself into his sleeping bag, crossing his arms behind his head. Misty's legs had always been that long, and her waist had always been that toned. Her skin had always been that soft, and her voice had always been that sweet.

Ash just hadn't noticed it until now. As he drifted off to sleep, orange hair and eyes deeper than the sea filled his mind, and one more thought flashed across his consciousness.

Better late than never.


	2. May - Beach

"We're finally here," Max said as the group crested the hill. Below, the clear blue sea sparkled in the setting sun. The adjacent beach, the destination of the group's excursion, saw its crowd already thinning for the day.

"Yeah, finally," Ash said pointedly, directing the comment at the brunette walking next to him.

"You have something to say, Ash?" May shot back, annoyed.

"Yeah, if you hadn't spent forever hours getting ready this morning, maybe we would have been here in time to enjoy the beach."

"Well sorry for practicing good hygiene. We can't all skip showers and wear the same pair of underwear every day."

Ash bristled at the comment – obviously false – but a clear and embarrassing mockery of his mother's classic reminder. Before Ash could respond, Brock dropped back from the front where he'd been walking with Max to step in between the Trainer and Coordinator.

"That's enough you two, the beach is going to be open for a little while longer so let's just enjoy it, shall we?" Brock looked between Ash and May, each of whom glared at one another before looking away, still irked. The Pokémon Breeder sighed. By now, they had reached a set of beach chairs, and Brock put his backpack down to claim the spot. "I'll watch our stuff, you three go change into your bathing suits."

May took some clothing out of her bag and walked off toward the women's changing room. Max grabbed his swim trunks and walked toward the men's side; Ash was about to follow him when Brock grabbed his arm.

"Can you apologize to May? This isn't going to be fun if the two of you are icy for the next hour."

Ash exhaled, frustrated. "Why should I apologize to her? She's the one who took so long this morning."

Brock rubbed his temples. "It's not that big a deal, Ash, we still got here with plenty of time to enjoy the beach. Come on, for my sake?"

Ash grumbled something to avoid giving a straight answer and then walked away to change. He stripped quickly, pulled on his orange trunks, and caught up with Max as the younger boy was leaving the changing room.

"Woo-hoo! Water, here I come!" Max yelled, dashing toward the waves.

"Uh-uh, not so fast, mister," May said, appearing out of nowhere to grab her younger brother by the arm. "Sunscreen first."

Ash did a double-take. May had on a simple two-piece, mostly pink with a minimal white border. The top looped around her neck, while the bottom was tied at her sides. Ash slowed as he approached the group's chairs, barely registering as Brock passed him to go get changed.

May was rubbing sunscreen on Max's back, muttering things to him about water safety as the young boy swung his legs, eager to get into the water. Ash's eyes grazed May's toned arms and close shoulders. He noticed that without her bandana, her hair was very lush; without her gloves, her hands looked small and delicate. Her skin was an unblemished tan, slightly lighter than his color but not at all pale. Ash suddenly thought that if the cause of their delay today was May's beauty routine, he might be able to live with that from now on.

Ash came to a stop near the chairs, and at the same time May adjusted her angle to get at Max's lower back, bending over slightly in the process.

Ash gulped involuntarily. He spent some part of every day walking behind May, who wore bike shorts regularly. And yet, he had never noticed how... well-rounded... she was.

Probably because of her skirt and waist-pack, Ash thought idly as May straightened, slapping Max on the back to signal he could go. Ash turned away abruptly so that May wouldn't catch him staring. He fiddled with his backpack, acting like he was looking for something.

"Ash?" May approached him, and he looked up abruptly, trying to act like he hadn't known she was there.

"Yeah?"

"I'm not going to say I'm sorry for being late this morning, but –"

"I'm sorry for getting on your back about that, May," Ash was surprised as how easy it was to say the words, but the sight of her in that bikini dissolved his pettiness. "You take care of whatever you need to. It's not like you do it every day, and even when you do we still usually get where we need to." Ash gestured at the beach to make his point.

May stared at him, taken aback. Ash realized she had probably approached him to call a temporary truce on the issue. They did that sometimes – they were both so hotheaded that they had needed to develop a strategy to deal with the situations when one of them got on the other's nerves.

Right now though, Ash just felt like looking at May. She was very easy on the eyes, Ash thought to himself.

"Um... ok. Thank you, I guess. Glad we're ok." May turned and walked back to the chair where she had set down the sunscreen. Ash willed himself not to let his eyes wander. "Hey, do you think you could get my back?"

Ash's eyes bugged as May held the sunscreen out to him. She jerked a thumb toward Max, who was jumping around in the waves. "Usually Max does it for me, but I didn't want to make him wait."

"Mhm," Ash intoned, not trusting himself to say much else. He took the bottle out of May's hand, and she beamed at him.

"Thanks!" The Coordinator wasted no time lying face down on the beach chair, and Ash again had to will his gaze to behave. He squeezed some sunscreen onto his palm, put the bottle aside, and rubbed his hands together quickly. He just had to focus on doing this step-by-step, and he'd be fine.

Ash placed his hands on May's upper back, and swallowed involuntarily. Her skin was smooth and tight, and his hands glided across her back easily.

"Mmm, your hands are warm, Ash," May said, her voice slightly muffled by the chair.

Ash laughed nervously, not sure what to say. He continued to rub the lotion down May's back, his hands passing over the ridges of her shoulder blades, slipping into the furrow in the middle of her back, and running down until they reached the small of her back. Ash rubbed the cream in small circles there, awing at how small May's waist was.

Ash suddenly became very aware of what he'd been trying to discipline himself not to look at, and he was about to ask May if he should go lower when she spoke up.

"Thanks a lot Ash, that's perfect," May said, sitting up.

Ash grunted, not sure if he was relieved or disappointed, and he handed the sunscreen bottle back to May so she could finish up.

May hummed as she rubbed sunscreen down the front of her body, making sure to get her upper chest, her stomach, and her legs. Ash watched out of the corner of his eye until he saw her get up and reach around to get her backside, and then he looked away.

Regretfully.

Ash shook his head, not sure what was wrong with him. He walked off toward the waves to play with Max, kicking up sand along the way.

"Woah, look at those cakes," a voice suddenly came from behind him, and Ash turned around on instinct. The speaker was a male who looked several years older than him, and he was walking toward May, flanked by two of his friends. "Hey baby, want to join us for a bit?"

The confusion in Ash's mind was blown away by a wave of anger. He clenched his fists.

"I'm fine actually, I'm here with some friends," May responded levelly.

"Come on, don't be like that," one of the other guys said, walking closer to May. "A girl like you, we could show you a good time. I know you could show us a good time." All three men laughed.

May held one of her arms with the other, and she looked around until she met eyes with Ash. That was all the signal he needed. He jogged back up the sand, reaching May in a matter of seconds.

"Do we have a problem here?" Ash asked icily. He maintained eye contact with the man who had spoken up first. He simultaneously reached across the beach chair and picked up his jacket, handing it to May. She slipped it on quickly.

"Is this one of your friends?" The man Ash was looking at looked him over with a jeer. Ash gritted his teeth inwardly, resisting the urge to lunge across and sock the man in the face. "I think you'd have more fun with us."

May's right hand snaked behind Ash's back to rest on his waist, and her left hand fluttered onto his left pectoral. "Actually, this is my boyfriend."

Ash's thoughts raced. May wouldn't be saying that unless she thought it was necessary. Clearly, she didn't want a fight. She also didn't want to entertain the men any longer, so she was trying to shut down the conversation. Ash was happy to play along. He watched the men's reactions – the one who'd originally spoken up looked skeptic, and Ash realized with disgust that they'd probably been watching May for a little while before they approached her. That meant they saw him apply sunscreen to her back, hand the bottle back, and walk away – a boyfriend would likely have been more intimate, or at least would have waited for his girlfriend to head to the water.

Ash's mind raced. The guy in front of him was about to open his mouth, and Ash acted on reflex. He just needed to do something that would make them think May was his girlfriend, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Ash's moved his left hand around May's back, dropped it, and grasped her backside roughly, pulling her body into his.

"Do we have a problem here?" Ash repeated.

The guy in front of him exhaled and threw his hands up before walking away with his buddies. Ash felt his anger subside and his heartrate slow slightly – he had been prepared for a fight.

"Say the word May, and I'll punch those guys' lights out."

"With one hand? Because your other still has a handful."

Ash retracted his left hand sheepishly. He wasn't going to act like he had lingered because he was distracted. It had just felt really, really good.

Before Ash could apologize, May patted his cheek firmly. It didn't hurt, but it was clearly meant to be a light slap. "That's for touching me like that when you're not actually my boyfriend."

"Sorry, May –"

May balanced on her tiptoes and cut him off with a light peck on the cheek. "And that's for doing it for my sake." She pulled away, her face dusted in red. "At least in part."

Ash rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. He wasn't sure which was softer, May's lips or her –

Without warning, May shoved Ash and then ran off down the beach, giggling. "Catch me if you can!"

"False start!" Ash laughed, chasing her.

He had a feeling he'd be doing a lot more of that now.


	3. Dawn - Proof

Author's Note

Thank you to Shane for reviewing!

* * *

Night had mostly taken over the campsite. Brock and Pikachu had already gone to bed, and Ash had already changed into his undershirt and shorts in anticipation of doing the same. He wandered over to where Dawn was training.

"I'm about to turn in, Dawn! Are you gonna be up much longer?"

Dawn turned and waved. "Ash! Actually, I'm about done. Could you watch this sequence with Piplup and Pachirisu real quick, and tell me what you think? I want to use it in a Contest at some point."

"Yeah of course, go for it!"

"Alright!" Dawn pumped her fist and looked at her Pokémon, trying to get them fired up. "You guys ready?"

"Pip-lup!"

"Pa-chi!"

"Pachirisu, use Discharge! Piplup, follow that with Whirpool!"

"Pa-chi-ri-su!" The Pokémon tightened its body, closed its eyes, and spilled its electricity out.

Ash backed away instinctively. Pachirisu had been getting better at controlling Discharge, but – maybe from being around Pikachu so much – he could tell what a well-controlled electric attack should look like, and that wasn't it.

Before Ash could even call out to Dawn, a bolt of electricity escaped the local web of Discharge and struck Dawn. The impact sent the Coordinator stumbling back until she hit the ground.

"Pa-chi!"

"Pip-pip-lup!"

"Dawn!" Ash crossed the distance to Dawn in a few strides, arriving just behind her two Pokémon.

Dawn sat up groggily, static jumping across her body. Pachirisu licked her arm apologetically, while Piplup supported her back.

Ash knelt at her side. "Are you ok, Dawn?"

Dawn blinked a couple of times and then smiled slightly. "Yeah - yeah, I think so." She turned her attention to her fawning Pokémon, laughing. "Thanks, but don't worry you guys, I should be ok. Let's call it a night though, shall we?"

Ash looked on suspiciously as Dawn patted Pachirisu's head and returned it to its Poké Ball. She did the same for Piplup, which raised a red flag in Ash's mind. Nowadays Dawn usually kept Piplup out of his Poké Ball all the time.

After returning Piplup, Dawn remained sitting on the ground, not moving.

Ash raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Acting tough for your Pokémon?"

Dawn suddenly fell backwards, so quickly that if Ash hadn't already been on guard he might not have been able to react in time. Luckily, he was able to extend an arm around her shoulders, stopping the fall. The jerk of Dawn's head against his forearm told him everything he needed to know.

"Can't hide anything from you, can I?" Dawn asked wryly, turning her head weakly to look at him.

"How bad is it?" Ash asked. He'd been temporarily paralyzed by more Thunderbolts than he could count, but usually the effect wore off in a matter of seconds. This was obviously different.

"It's nothing, I'm getting better by the second. I can feel my neck again," Dawn said, turning her head to demonstrate. "Still no feeling in my arms or legs though."

Ash tightened his grip around Dawn's shoulder to show he was there. "It's gonna be ok. It should come back soon."

"I know," Dawn said, "I've felt this from Pachirisu before. It's different from Pikachu, where it runs through your system quickly. Pachirisu's almost likes to linger, maybe because Discharge works differently than Thunderbolt. That said, we're still usually talking like a minute tops. I can feel it slowly wearing off, but this is taking a while."

Ash took Dawn's left hand in his left hand, rubbing the top of her hand with his thumb. "Maybe because you're tired? Anyway, I'll stay right here until it wears off, no need to worry."

"Hey, that's my line." Dawn laughed. Her voice didn't sound weak anymore, which assured Ash that the electricity just needed time to dissipate.

"Do you want me to get Brock? I don't think you're in any danger, but if it'd make you feel better to have someone with more medical expertise than me, I'm sure he wouldn't mind." Ash smiled cheekily. "And when I say more medical expertise than me, I mean 'has medical expertise at all'."

Dawn giggled. "What better expert to have for this than the man who's been shocked a million times?" They both laughed. "Anyway, I'm starting to feel your thumb rubbing my hand, so I'm positive it's just taking a while to wear off."

"Awesome, let's just wait then."

They fell silent as they waited. Dawn's tank top was chafing the inside of Ash's right forearm, and her hair fell in a curtain around his entire arm. Her hair was really soft, Ash thought. Well, he did notice her brushing it regularly.

"Sorry if I'm sweaty," Dawn said suddenly, looking away from him. "We've been on the road all day, and I figured I'd get sweatier training, so I thought I'd just wash up before bed." Dawn chuckled awkwardly, obviously self-conscious.

"Oh, you're fine, Dawn," Ash said quickly. He knew better than to leave any doubt about this sort of thing with a girl, and Dawn really didn't seem sweaty at all. If anything, she smelled good. He didn't sense perfume – he didn't know if she didn't wear any, or if it had worn off from the day – but he suspected the fragrance was from her hair.

"That's good," Dawn trailed off, still self-conscious. Ash could imagine it was weird for her to be cradled in his arms like this. They were close friends and obviously touched for high-fives and random, everyday things, but they weren't ever touchy-feely. "I'm going to try standing up now."

"Ok, take your time," Ash cautioned.

Dawn pulled her upper body up slightly and slid her legs back. Ash moved his right arm from around her shoulders to underneath her arms, giving her a boost as she stood.

Ash could tell by the amount of boost he had given that Dawn's extremities had not nearly recovered to full strength. He kept quiet so as not to discourage the Coordinator, lowering his arm from underneath her right arm to the small of her back. When Dawn still didn't say anything, he started to let go of her left hand – still cupped in his left hand – and began to step back, assuming she wanted to try to walk on her own.

"Nope, not happening," Dawn said coolly as she stumbled, and Ash had to lunge to make sure she didn't fall.

"Geez, Dawn," Ash groaned as he pulled her back up to a standing position. "If you knew you weren't ready, you should have said something first."

"Oh, I knew you wouldn't let me fall," Dawn said cheekily. Ash rolled his eyes. "Also, why did you groan? Are you trying to say I'm -"

"I was only groaning because I was surprised at having to catch you." Ash again sensed a topic he should nip in the bud. "You are light as a feather."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Prove it."

"Ok." Ash's mind raced. "I need to take you back to your tent anyway so we're not sitting out here for Arceus-knows-how-long waiting for feeling to come back in your arms and legs. But it would take forever for you to walk, even with me supporting you."

"Fair. Continue."

"So I'll have to carry you. Normally, I would just take you piggyback. But that'd be easy since I'd be using my back. So, to prove that you are indeed light, I will princess carry you to your tent."

"Hmm..." Dawn looked to the side, acting like she was thinking.

Ash sighed. "You're paralyzed, and you really want to negotiate with me about the best way for me to prove to you that you're not heavy?"

Dawn grinned sheepishly. "I will allow the princess carry."

Ash chuckled. "Alright then, princess."

Ash braced his right arm underneath Dawn's arms and moved his left arm under her knees, pulling up so she came off the ground and sat squarely in his arms. He made sure not to exhale or groan as he did it.

Dawn inhaled sharply, and Ash smirked to himself at having surprised her. She cleared her throat, trying to play it off. "Showoff."

"You know, feathers aren't heavy, but they can slip out of your hands easily."

"Alright, alright, you win, I'm not heavy," Dawn grumbled.

Ash sweatdropped. "I'm not sure why that means I win, but I'm glad that the topic is closed." He started walking toward her tent.

Not only was Dawn light, she was soft. His left hand was clasped on her right leg, just above the thigh, and he was doing his best not to look at what felt so good in his hand.

"Uh, I can't move my hands, and I know yours are a little busy, so I won't ask you to adjust my skirt – but please don't look down." Ash could practically hear the blush in Dawn's voice.

Ash swallowed as discreetly as he could and increased the pace of his stride, making it to Dawn's tent quickly. He stepped through the entrance and was momentarily distracted by how filled the place was. In addition to Dawn's sleeping bag, there was a full-length mirror, in front of which was a chair and a small table on which many toiletries were arranged. If there were a proper bed, it would be a small dorm room.

"You can put me on the chair. Close your eyes as you put me down!"

"Do you know how hard that is?"

"Figure it out, mister."

Ash obliged, grumbling. Once he had her seated against the backrest there was some uncoordinated shuffling, and then a sigh.

"Well, that's as good as it'll get. You can open your eyes now."

Ash opened his eyes. Dawn's skirt was still slightly hiked up, exposing quite a bit of her creamy legs. Ash swallowed and quickly reached down to smooth the garment out. The Coordinator blushed. Ash cleared his throat, but didn't say anything.

"Thanks. And thank you so much for taking care of me. Sorry to keep you up - you can go to bed now."

Ash looked at Dawn pointedly. "You obviously still can't move very well. Why don't I just put you in your sleeping bag?"

Dawn's eyes darted toward the table in front of her, specifically to her hairbrush. Ash's mouth fell agape.

"You're planning on waiting until you can move enough to brush your hair before you go to bed? Are you serious?"

Dawn cast her eyes down, and Ash realized it had come out a little harsher than he intended. She couldn't exactly be feeling that hot about herself right now, and he wasn't helping.

Ash stepped to the table and picked up the brush. "Is this the one?"

Dawn's eyes snapped up, and she nodded. "Yeah, why?"

"I'll do it for you."

Dawn blinked, and then laughed loudly. A little too loudly. Well, at least she wasn't feeling too down.

"You? Brush my hair? Have you ever even looked at your own hair in the mirror?"

"You know, you should really think about your options before you go roasting people."

Dawn sweatdropped. "Ok, ok, I'll walk you through it. Take off my beanie and hair clips first."

Ash obliged, and then listened carefully to each of Dawn's instructions, doing his best to comply. It was more time-consuming than he thought, and he had a new respect for Dawn for being so disciplined about doing this twice a day. He knew she had been joking about his own hair, but even though he cleaned it regularly, he honestly didn't remember the last time he really took care of it like this.

"You're good at this," Dawn said softly.

Ash paused, looking at the Coordinator in the mirror in front of them. Her dark blue eyes were trained on him curiously, and Ash looked back down at her hair to resume his brushing.

"Thanks, but your hair makes it easy. You take good care of it," Ash replied earnestly.

"I bet yours is just a mess of tangles when you try to comb it, isn't it?"

"Yeah..."

"Tomorrow, let me do your hair?"

Ash looked back up at the mirror. Dawn's bright, mischievous expression made him smile. "Sure, Dawn."

"Yay!"

Ash chuckled and returned to his ministrations. Dawn's hair began to fall in straight sheets with every brush stroke, and Ash realized that as soft as it'd felt outside on the training ground, that was after a full day of being out and about. Ash finished his brushing, and – unable to help himself – ran a hand through Dawn's hair just to feel it.

Silk. That was the only way to describe it.

"Ash?"

Ash pulled his hand back quickly, embarrassed. Dawn was looking at him through the mirror again, her face slightly red.

"Uh, sorry, Dawn."

Dawn stared at him for a moment, and then broke eye contact to swivel her head and check her hair in the mirror. "It looks great, Ash! I should get you to do this for me all the time."

Ash laughed nervously, not sure whether he liked the idea or was afraid of it. As he looked away, he caught a glance at Dawn's Pokétch, and his eyes bugged when he saw the time.

"Woah, it's late – I must have taken a while with the brush. How do you feel? Can you move your arms or legs at all?"

Dawn paused, then shook her head. "No, but I feel like if I get a good night's sleep I'll be as good as new. Think you can get me into my sleeping bag?"

Ash grinned. "As you wish, princess."

He scooped her up and walked to her sleeping bag on the side of the tent. As he knelt down, Dawn spoke up, her tone more serious than usual.

"Thank you, Ash. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Ash placed her in the bag gently, chuckling slightly. "Oh, please."

"I mean it," Dawn pressed.

Ash lowered her shoulders slowly so she could lie flat. "Yeah? Prove it," he said absently, only meaning to reciprocate the skepticism she'd shown at him earlier.

Now that Dawn was securely in her sleeping bag, Ash was about to pull back and stand up – when he felt Dawn's lips pressing into his cheek.

Ash lingered, heat rising to his face as he let Dawn finish her kiss. When she pulled away from his cheek, he looked down at her.

Her eyes were dancing. "Will you be needing any more proof?"

Ash stood up shakily, feeling somewhat paralyzed himself.

"Good night, Ash," Dawn smiled up at him, and he nodded at her and walked out of the tent quickly.

Ash slipped into his and Brock's tent quietly and got into his sleeping bag. He sighed: he was confused, and his heart was still racing. Ash tried to calm himself so he could get to sleep.

"Ah!" Ash exclaimed quietly – he had forgotten to turn off the lamp in Dawn's tent. He jumped up and walked out of the tent briskly.

Across the campsite, Ash saw Dawn's tent still illuminated. He continued to watch it as he walked, and when he was about halfway there a shadow suddenly emerged, seemingly from the ground.

Ash stopped dead in his tracks, shocked – had someone gotten into Dawn's tent? But as the shadow extended to full height, Ash recognized the unmistakable shape of Dawn's body.

Ash watched in disbelief as Dawn crossed the tent and turned off the lamp. He heard rustling as he presumed she walked back across the tent and got back into her sleeping bag. Then, silence.

Ash had to cover his mouth to not burst out laughing. She had gotten him good. Everything had been unscripted up until the last time he had asked how she was doing in the tent, and then she had told one small, white lie.

Ash got back into his sleeping back, still smiling. He thought back to Dawn's cheeky question, and he chuckled to himself as he drifted off to sleep.

No, he wouldn't be needing any more proof.


	4. Serena - Decision

Author's Note

Thank you to Shane, brtnvm, MidnightFenrir, DarkestLightOfHope, heeldigger, Vegeta the 3rd, Hybrid of Fate, pokefan2003, and Halo Ash for reviewing!

* * *

"Doing okay, Serena?" Ash asked as the Performer exited the changing room.

"Your outfit was really nice!" Bonnie exclaimed. Clemont nodded vigorously in agreement.

Serena flashed a sad smile. "Thank you, guys. I really appreciate it. I wish my Pokémon and I could have done better, but we did the best we could, and I learned a lot."

Ash nodded encouragingly. "I think you made the best of this you could, Serena. You'll definitely get the next one."

"Thanks, Ash," Serena replied. Ash had the feeling it was more out of courtesy than agreement.

The group filed out of the venue quietly, Serena leading the way with her head slightly tilted down. Ash watched her slightly drooped shoulders solemnly.

He knew how it felt.

When he lost against Brock in his first Gym battle ever, it had completely taken the air out of his sails. It was supposed to be the first step toward his dream, and instead it had quite literally been running into a brick wall. The battle had been so lopsided he had to forfeit out of concern for Pikachu, and it had hurt him that he hadn't even been able to finish the battle.

Serena had just experienced something similar, with Fennekin's stumble essentially eliminating her from the Showcase before she could finish her debut performance. The difference was that his debut ended early in the privacy of a Gym, while Serena's ended early in front of an audience of hundreds of people.

Ash's jaw tightened. He thought he could relate, but he really couldn't imagine how Serena felt right now.

Serena's head perked up as they descended the stairs into the plaza, and Ash saw Shauna, back in her street clothes, waiting at the base of the stairs. Ash felt his heart ache in empathy as Serena smiled at her rival.

"Congratulations, Shauna!"

"Thanks, Serena!" Shauna beamed at the group.

Even though Ash knew this was hard for Serena, he felt obliged to say something positive to Shauna. "Just wait until Tierno and Trevor find out," he chimed in.

Shauna laughed. "Let me tell them, okay? I want to see the looks on their faces!"

There was a moment's pause, and then Serena spoke up fiercely. "You'll see, I'll catch up to you in no time!"

Ash noted her expressive body language – Serena was normally outgoing, but he knew her well enough to tell that she was pushing herself to appear fine. If that was the case, it meant she probably wasn't fine at all.

Shauna giggled energetically. "Right, let's both do our best to become Kalos Queen!" She backed away, waving. "Bye you guys, I'll see you later. Bye!"

"Bye!" Bonnie waved after the brunette as she jogged away.

"Take care, Shauna!" Clemont called.

"See you later!" Ash joined in. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Serena was waving, but not saying anything. He watched as she knelt down to Bonnie's level, addressing the younger girl in an upbeat tone.

"What do you say we all go and have dinner at the Pokémon Center?"

"Yay!" Bonnie clasped Serena's hand and began leading her. "I'm so hungry!"

Ash watched Serena walk beside Bonnie, engaging her cheerily. He had to hand it to her, she was putting up a solid front.

"I wonder if Serena will be alright," Clemont said to him as the girls walked out of earshot. Ash turned toward the blonde inquisitively. "I'm sure she knows we all make mistakes, but still."

Clemont looked towards Serena worriedly, and Ash watched as the honey-haired Performer bobbed next to Bonnie, seemingly alright. He strongly suspected Serena was acting strong to not make a scene, but it's not like he had proof. And he didn't want to make a big deal out of the situation when Serena herself was trying to take it in stride.

Ash decided to keep his reservations to himself, but still speak from his heart. "Serena will be fine. Don't forget, she's strong."

"Yeah, you're right," Clemont agreed, and Ash could tell he had assuaged the Gym Leader's worry. They began walking after the girls, in the direction of the Pokémon Center.

Ash made up his mind not to say anything to Serena about the Showcase – there were some situations in which he would speak up, but this one was too personal to Serena for him to say anything productive. It was more likely that her façade would crumble and she would feel even worse for it.

He and Clemont caught up to the girls quickly, and Clemont walked next to Bonnie while Ash matched stride with Serena. She turned to look at him as he pulled up next to her, her light blue eyes sparkling as she grinned.

"Hungry?" she asked.

"Always," he quipped.

Serena laughed airily, and Ash grinned at her sheepishly.

"Maybe for dessert we can have some of my macarons?" Serena clasped her hands behind her back, leaning toward him playfully.

Ash felt his heart beat a little faster at her bright, expectant face. He was sure that some of Serena's persona at the moment was a façade, but he could also see that some of it wasn't. She was more grounded and even keeled than he had expected, and he was really impressed.

"I'd love that, Serena." Ash smiled at her warmly.

Serena pulled back, a light blush dusting her face. She adjusted her hat self-consciously. "Well, it's a deal, then."

Bonnie interjected, wanting to know what they were talking about. Serena explained as they entered the Pokémon Center, promising to treat the younger girl to macarons as well.

"Welcome back!" Nurse Joy greeted them as they entered. "Would you like me to treat your Pokémon?"

"Yes, please," Serena spoke up immediately, and Ash could sense a sudden shift in her mood as she handed her Poké Balls over; her eyes lingered on Fennekin's Ball in particular as Nurse Joy took them.

"Mine too, please!" Ash handed Pikachu and the rest of his Pokémon over so Nurse Joy could take care of them. He hadn't done any battling today, but it couldn't hurt – he also hoped it would help Serena feel less like the odd one out.

Clemont handed his Pokémon over as well, and Bonnie reluctantly relinquished Dedenne, promising to see it again soon. The group headed over to the cafeteria and got their food, settling into a booth.

"Let's eat!" Bonnie exclaimed excitedly, and Clemont chided her as she started scarfing down her food. Ash laughed, and Serena smiled slightly. Ash kept an eye on her as he ate.

Serena was normally a reserved eater, but she always finished what she put on her plate. Today, she was eating more slowly and in smaller bites. Several minutes after he, Clemont, and Bonnie had finished, Serena was still pushing food around her plate. Her elbows, usually tucked at her sides while she ate, were placed on the table absently, and her eyes, though trained on her food, were cloudy and pensive.

Ash had experienced his appetite suffer after tough losses. He knew that trying to eat when you didn't feel good about yourself could make your stomach feel like it was shrinking and food feel like it was losing its taste. He knew that if he didn't snap her out of it, Serena would start spiraling within herself.

"You guys want to grab some tea and hang out in the lobby?"

Serena's head snapped up at his suggestion, as if she'd been broken out of a trance.

"Sounds good to me," Clemont said, standing up with his plate. He stopped as he noticed Serena's plate for the first time. "Oh, where are my manners – are you still eating, Serena?"

Serena flashed a smile, and Ash could see that she had temporarily snapped out of her funk. "Oh no, I'm all finished. Tea sounds good, Ash."

"Ooh, cool barley tea is the best after a long day!" Bonnie cheered, scooting out of the booth with her plate.

Clemont guided Bonnie to the dish return, helping her with her plate. Ash lingered behind with Serena.

"Can I get that for you?" Ash gestured toward Serena's plate.

Serena looked at him in surprise. She looked down at her plate, and then up at him, clearly embarrassed to have left food on her plate. "Uh, I can get it. Thank you though, Ash."

"Stomachache?" Ash knew better, but it was his subtle way of giving Serena a way to organically bring up the Showcase.

"No, I'm just not that hungry," Serena responded, slightly distracted. Ash nodded.

She wasn't going to lie to him, but she wasn't looking for someone to talk to, either.

Ash put his plate in the dish return and made his way to the drinks station, grabbing two glasses of barley tea for Serena and himself. He held Serena's glass out to her, and she smiled at him softly as she took it.

"Thank you, Ash."

"Where's my macaron?"

Serena giggled at the abrupt question, and she handed her glass back to Ash as she pulled her macaron basket out of her bag. She opened it, displaying the colorful confections to Ash.

"Take your pick."

"My hands are full, can you just put one in my mouth?"

Serena's face turned bright red suddenly, and Ash pumped a fist mentally. If she was genuinely surprised, she couldn't be thinking about anything else. He could obviously put a glass down on the table right next to him to take the macaron himself, but he wanted to be a bit goofy and let her point that out.

It was his turn to be surprised as, instead of telling him to put a glass down, Serena picked a macron out of the basket, her cheeks still cherry red.

"Say 'ah'," Serena said quietly, and Ash felt his own cheeks turn red as he complied. Serena gently pushed a pink macaron into Ash's mouth as he stared. When she pulled her hand away, Ash pulled the confection into his mouth with his lips and chewed happily.

Serena giggled.

"Hey, what about me?" Bonnie skipped over quickly, seeing the macarons, and Ash almost choked in surprise. Serena laughed as he recovered, and she cheerily handed macarons out to Bonnie and the close-behind Clemont.

"Did you guys happen to get our Pokémon from Nurse Joy?" Serena asked as she put her macaron basket back into her bag.

"Not yet, we just put our drinks down in the lobby to reserve some seats and came back to check on you two," Clemont said.

"Dedenne!" Bonnie exclaimed, her mouth still half full. "Let's get Dedenne!"

The young girl dragged Clemont out of the cafeteria toward the front desk before Ash and Serena could say anything.

"That Bonnie, so much energy," Ash mused, watching as Serena slung her bag on her back and smoothed her skirt. She smiled at him. He held her glass of tea out to her, feeling a little self-conscious.

Serena took the glass with her left hand. Before Ash could pull his open hand back, Serena clasped it in her right hand.

"Thank you, Ash." Serena's light blue eyes were clearer than they'd been during dinner, and Ash was speechless for a moment. Serena retracted her hand, her eyes searching his for a response.

Ash composed himself and smiled back. Serena knew that he had an eye on her. As long as she understood that he was there to lean on and talk to, he was satisfied. It saddened him that he couldn't do anything for her specifically, but that was part of this territory – he of all people could understand that.

"Let's go join Clemont and Bonnie?" he asked simply.

"Let's."

They found the two siblings sipping at their tea in the sofas of the lobby, with the group's Poké Balls gathered there as well. Dedenne was back at Bonnie's side, and Pikachu greeted Ash as he sat down. Ash patted his friend's head in greeting, and the Mouse Pokémon scampered onto the crest of the sofa, settling down next to his shoulder.

"Alright, Ash, you're next," Serena said suddenly.

Ash stopped sipping his tea. "Hm?"

"Going for your fifth badge!" Serena looked at him pointedly.

Ash stared back. Serena's eyes were still clear, but they held a softness that belied how she was feeling inside. She was being completely genuine now, no façade, and Ash knew that meant her emotions were going to spill out soon. But she was telling him to focus on himself and not worry about her.

If just being himself was the best thing he could do for her right now, then that's what he would do.

"Wow, I'm going for my fifth badge already," Ash mused aloud.

"Well, looks like the time has finally come," Clemont grinned slightly from the couch opposite him.

"Oh yeah, my next Gym battle is against you!" Ash exclaimed excitedly.

He and Clemont began talking about their upcoming Gym battle enthusiastically. Ash sensed Bonnie following along with energetic eyes and Serena watching passively, half-smiling.

After the group finished their tea, they headed to their room, changed, and got into bed quickly, exhausted from a long day. Ash thought he might have a hard time sleeping, but the emotions of the day must have drained him, and sleep crept up on him quickly.

He was awoken by a faint rustling. He blinked, confused – had he just fallen asleep? His eyes darted to a glowing digital clock on the table at the end of the room. 5:30 AM.

Rustling drew his attention again, and his eyes quickly found the source: a figure a little shorter than his height, with long hair and a bow atop her head.

Serena.

Ash tracked Serena's figure as she shuffled across the room to the table, took some clothes from her bag, and quietly padded to the bathroom. As she closed the door behind her, Ash's mind raced.

Serena was probably going to get ready and go somewhere to clear her head before the start of the day. She had gotten into bed around the same time as the rest of them; Ash suspected that she was drained from the day and had at least gotten some sleep, but once she woke up the emotions from yesterday had come rushing back. Ash could hear his heart pumping in his ears.

What should he do?

There was a part of him that wanted to get up and talk to Serena. But that would disregard their interactions yesterday, as well as his own feelings on the matter – whatever particular emotions Serena was going through with regard to being a Performer, at this early stage in her career, after what had happened yesterday, she had to face them herself.

Ash's eyes suddenly caught the glint of Poké Balls on the table at the end of the hall. It was customary for the group to leave the Balls out like that after getting them healed at a Pokémon Center - it made it easier to let the Pokémon out the next morning for breakfast before they had to hit the road.

Ash jumped out of bed and made his way to the table, making his decision quickly. It wasn't exactly true that Serena had to go through her struggles as a Pokémon Performer by herself.

Ash slipped Fennekin and Pancham's Poké Balls into Serena's bag.

He settled back into bed just as Serena emerged from the bathroom, crossing the bedroom and opening her bag back up to place her nightclothes inside.

Ash didn't want to sell Serena short; it was very likely that she would have taken her Pokémon with her of her own accord, even without his intervention. But there was one thing he felt sure of, one conviction he felt he was justified in contributing as Serena struggled through her emotions, even considering that he had no idea how exactly she was feeling.

She needed to figure it out alongside her Pokémon.

Serena slung her bag over her shoulder and walked back across the room, this time toward the door leading to the hallway.

Ash closed his eyes and exhaled quietly. He had been on his journey a long time, and the toughest moments were the ones in which his dream felt like it was beyond his reach – those were the ones in which he and his Pokémon had to band together and decide who they were going to be.

Ash silently wished Serena luck as he heard the door shut.

He couldn't wait to see who she was going to decide to be.


	5. Misty - Fear

Author's Note

Thank you to MidnightFenrir, brtnvm, Shane, Halo Ash, pokefan2003, Vegeta the 3rd, and dhun2302 for reviewing!

* * *

"It's getting dark. I think we should stop for the night in the travelers' lodge up ahead," Brock said.

Ash looked over Brock's shoulder at the Breeder's map. "Fine with me, just a mile or so ahead, huh?"

"I'm not so sure," Misty spoke up from behind them. "Can't we make it through the forest to the next Pokémon Center?"

Ash looked over his shoulder at Misty curiously. The Water Pokémon Trainer was clutching Togepi tighter than usual.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Brock replied, looking at the map. "We'd have to walk another ten miles to get to the next Pokémon Center. And it'd be so dark we'd run the risk of getting lost."

Misty sighed. "That makes sense. Lodge it is, then."

"What's wrong?" Ash asked teasingly. "Scared of all the forest Pokémon that might come out at night?"

Misty's expression turned slightly pale, and Ash realized that his joke was actually on target. Now that he thought about it, Misty had been quieter and more on edge ever since they entered the forest. She had been walking close behind him the whole time, as close to the center of the path and as far from the trees as possible. Ash suddenly recalled Misty's fear of Bug Pokémon.

Misty saw him realize he'd hit the nail on the head, and her subdued face turned red with embarrassment.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ash. I'm not scared of anything." Misty turned her face to the side haughtily.

"You sure?" Ash sidled up to her, bringing his face close. "Not even a creepy, crawly –"

"Stop!" Misty increased her walking pace to distance herself from Ash, her ears red.

Ash chuckled to himself, crossing his hands behind his head in victory. From behind Misty, he could see the pale skin of her arms and nape covered in goosebumps. He had forgotten just how sensitive she was about Bug Pokémon.

Ash couldn't help himself sometimes when it came to teasing Misty, but he decided not to go any further. It was fun to get certain reactions from her at things he said, but he didn't particularly like making her afraid.

"Here we are!" Brock announced as they entered a slightly less dense patch of the woods.

A log cabin sat in the middle of the area, with a path leading from it through a denser patch of woods to another clearing with a rest area for both passersby and cabin residents to use. Ash didn't see any light from inside the cabin, so the three of them would probably have the place to themselves for the night.

"If you two want to go wash up, I'll get some dinner started inside," Brock offered.

Misty was looking around nervously. Ash responded for both of them. "Will do, Brock. We'll be there in a minute."

Brock headed inside, and Ash let Pikachu down from his shoulder to scamper after the Breeder.

Misty was still observing the area quietly. Ash waved a hand in front of her face slowly. "Hello? Earth to Misty. Anyone there?"

Misty blinked and jumped back. "Ahh... I was just thinking, Ash." She looked around confusedly. "Where are Brock and Pikachu?"

"They went inside. Brock said we could wash up while he got dinner ready. You sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Misty said emphatically. She put Togepi down and patted the Spike Ball Pokémon on the back. "Head inside, Togepi. I'll be there in a minute."

"Pika, Pikachu!" Pikachu beckoned to the younger Pokémon from the entrance to the cabin.

"Toge, Toge-priii!" Togepi exclaimed happily, waddling toward the cabin.

Ash laughed and started walking toward the restrooms to wash up. Misty jogged to keep pace with him, her arms crossed tightly against her chest.

"You know, I don't think any Bug Pokémon would just jump out this time of day. Maybe at night, but there's still a little light out right now." Ash made sure not to look at Misty as he spoke, knowing she was more likely to act tough the more he confronted her with her fear.

There was a pause, and Misty spoke more softly than usual. "I know. But I can't help it. I'm just afraid of them. No matter how much I think about your cute Butterfree or all the other sweet Bug Pokémon I've met, the idea of encountering a wild one gives me the creeps."

Ash scratched the back of his head, not sure what to say. He understood. There were some things you were just afraid of – no amount of logic could change that.

"You'll be okay," Ash said lamely, unable to think of something more reassuring.

"Thanks, Ash," Misty said, her tone still subdued. He noticed she had moved slightly closer to him; her arm brushed his as they walked in silence.

"Can you wait here so we can walk back together?" Misty asked as they reached the clearing.

"Will do," Ash said, waving casually as he walked into the men's restroom.

As he washed up, his mind kept wandering to Misty. It wasn't often that he saw this side of her. She was toughness personified, spunky to a fault, and always outspoken. Seeing her subdued and vulnerable compelled him viscerally to want to be there for her.

Ash dried his hands and walked outside to see Misty waiting for him, fidgeting. The obvious relief on her face as he approached made his heart skip a beat. He noticed her hands were still slightly wet.

"You could have taken your time, you know," he assured her. "I wasn't going to leave without you."

"I know, but I didn't want you to wait for me," Misty said stubbornly.

Ash smiled slightly. Scared or not, Misty was Misty.

"What?" Misty deadpanned, suspicious of his smile.

"Nothing, nothing, let's get back."

As Ash predicted, there was still enough light out that they weren't waylaid by any Bug Pokémon on the short walk back to the cabin. When they arrived, Brock had stew ready for their dinner.

Ash dug into his stew with gusto – it was just the thing to hit the spot after a long day on the road. He noticed Misty downing lots of water with her food, probably because she had been so distracted during the day that she had forgotten to hydrate.

When the group finished eating, Brock went to get changed and Ash and Misty took care of the dishes. By the time the sun had fully set, Ash, Misty, and Brock were all tucked into their sleeping bags.

"Good night, Misty. Good night, Brock," Ash said, yawning.

"Good night, Ash," Brock said, turning off the light.

"Sleep tight, Ash," Misty said.

They had covered at least twenty miles during the day, and Ash was beat. It didn't take him long to drift off to sleep.

"Ash! Ash, wake up!"

A hand on his shoulder and his name being hissed woke him abruptly. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get his bearings. He must have been asleep for a few hours.

As his eyes adjusted, he recognized the voice calling him as Misty's. His body sprang up fully alert as he realized she might be in trouble.

"A- Ow!"

"Ow!" Ash exclaimed as his head bumped into something hard. The sound of Misty's exclamation told him he had hit her head.

"Hey, watch it!" Misty hissed.

"It's pitch-dark! Maybe don't lean directly over me!" Ash hissed back.

"Be quiet, or you'll wake up Brock!"

"You be quiet!"

Both Trainers fell silent, rubbing their heads slowly. As the pain subsided, Ash remembered that Misty had been trying to wake him.

"So why were you trying to wake me up?"

There was a brief pause, and then Misty spoke in a quiet tone. "I need to use the restroom."

Ash's brain was still initializing, and it took him a minute to connect that she woke him up to walk her over. He pulled himself out of his sleeping bag, checking with her to make sure.

"So you want me to walk you over?"

"I mean, if you want to..."

Ash had to suppress a laugh. He should have known better than to think Misty would ask him outright.

"But you saw in the evening, right? We didn't run into any Bug Pokémon."

"Yeah, but remember what you said? That maybe at night some would come out?"

Ash could hear the vulnerability in Misty's voice, and he berated himself for having said that earlier. He didn't mind walking Misty over at all, but he knew that she'd still be scared now even though he was with her.

"Ah, yeah... I mean, I don't know that for a fact. But sure, I'll come with you."

Misty and Ash tiptoed out of the cabin, being careful not to wake Brock. Ash exhaled and stretched as Misty closed the cabin door behind them. It was a brisk night with a slight breeze that was quite enlivening. His one complaint was the absolute darkness – even with his eyes adjusted, he could barely make out the path toward the rest area, and nothing else.

"Ash... you there?" Misty's hand touched his shoulder as he felt her step close to him.

"I'm here," Ash said, touching her hand lightly to reassure her. Before he could retract his hand, Misty clasped it in hers, bringing it in between them. There was a moment of silence. Ash realized that in the darkness, Misty had thought he was offering his hand to hold when he touched her.

"Is this ok?" Misty caught on that she may have been mistaken, but Ash went with the flow.

"Yeah."

Ash led the way down the path as Misty walked beside and slightly behind him. Their hands weren't interlaced, but they were clasped tightly enough that Ash could distinctly feel Misty's hand. It was small and warm. Most surprisingly, it was soft. Softer than he would have expected.

Was it because she had grown up doing so much swimming? Or was it because she was a girl? Ash had no idea, but it was something else about Misty that he hadn't gotten to experience until today.

"Finally," Misty exhaled as they reached the clearing with the restrooms.

Ash waited until it felt like the right moment to retract his hand. He didn't want to pull back too fast, and he didn't want to linger too long. Luckily, Misty unclasped her hand slowly, giving him plenty of time.

"I'll be back in a minute," Misty said quickly, and Ash could tell that now that they weren't immediately threatened by Bug Pokémon she was slightly embarrassed about the whole thing.

"I'll wait right here," Ash reassured.

Ash stared at his hand as he waited, even though he couldn't really see it in the dark. He could feel tingles where Misty's hand had been. There was an involuntarily smile on his face he couldn't wipe off.

"Ash?" Misty's voice sounded from nearby. Her hand contacted his shoulder as she found him again.

Ash put his hand down quickly, heat rising to his cheeks. He was thankful it was too dark for Misty to see him clearly.

"Ready to go?" Ash turned his head in the direction of Misty.

"Yeah," she replied, and her hand slid down his arm to clasp his again.

It felt good, but Ash wanted to try something else.

Ash brushed his fingers across Misty's palm, sliding them into the gaps between her fingers so their hands were interlaced. He felt his heart beat faster at the increased contact. Ash squeezed Misty's hand gently.

There were a couple of moments where nothing happened, and Ash could feel his blood pumping in his ears.

Then Misty squeezed back.

Ash exhaled as silently as he could and then started walking, leading Misty down the path back to the cabin. Misty matched his stride, and Ash got the feeling maybe Misty wasn't as afraid now. Was it because he was there? The thought made Ash feel slightly giddy.

Misty stopped dead in her tracks, and her grip on his hand went from firm to painful.

"A- Ash..."

Ash couldn't see anything other than Misty's silhouette, but a quick scan confirmed his creeping suspicion. On Misty's right shoulder there was a small, round mass. Ash could see a thin string glinting slightly, extending from Misty's shoulder to the trees behind them.

If Ash had to guess, it was a Spinarak that had mistaken Misty for a bush while trying to extend its web. But it didn't really matter – he just needed to get it away from Misty.

"Please... get... it... off..." Misty managed, her head bent as far away from her shoulder as possible.

"I'll get it Misty, don't make any sudden moves," Ash said. He tried to pull his hand out of Misty's so he could move freely. Misty didn't say anything, but she didn't relax her grip. Ash realized she wanted to stay in contact and at least know he was there. He squeezed her hand.

"I'm right here. Just close your eyes and count to 3, and it'll be over."

Ash raised his right hand slowly, focusing his eyes on the thin strand leading from Misty's back. He didn't want to slap the Pokémon off and risk hurting it or Misty if he misjudged his aim. Instead, he would grip the strand of its web that was still attached to the Pokémon's body, and pull it off of Misty in one clean yank.

Ash took a deep breath and calmed his mind, letting instinct take over. He lunged forward, careful not to squish their interlaced hands as he reached over Misty's shoulder and yanked the Pokémon off her.

"Gotcha!" Ash felt the mass come detached from Misty's shoulder and swing away from her body.

Misty must have felt it, too: as soon as the Pokémon came off her shoulder she jogged forward, pushing herself into Ash's body to get away from it. Ash encircled her with his arm and pulled her back from the middle of the path to ensure the Pokémon wouldn't swing back onto her.

"It's gone, you're ok. I'm right here," Ash assured her, pulling their interlaced hands apart so he could fully hug Misty.

She shivered slightly against his body, still clearly freaked out.

"Shhh," Ash consoled her as best he could. He was surprised at how intense her reaction was, but he understood considering how fearful she was of Bug Pokémon and how she hadn't even been able to see what had been on her.

Misty's arms slowly came around Ash's body to reciprocate the hug. Ash put his chin against Misty's head gently, listening as her breathing slowed down.

"Thanks, Ash," Misty said, her voice muffled against his chest.

"You're welcome," Ash replied, pulling away from the embrace. He was glad Misty had calmed down, but he was sorry the hug had to end. Misty fit so perfectly in his arms.

"You're going to make fun of me for this tomorrow, aren't you?" Ash could hear the pout in Misty's voice, and it made him smile.

"I won't, Misty, I promise," Ash said sincerely. "But I'll find other things to make fun of you for."

They both laughed and continued walking down the path back to the cabin, shoulder to shoulder. As they neared the entrance of the cabin, Ash decided to ask a question that'd been nagging at him. He stopped in front of the door, and even in the low light he could tell that Misty turned to face him.

"Hey, Misty?"

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you wake Brock up? If you thought that I'd make fun of you for being scared, why ask me to come with you?"

"Hmm..." There was a pause after Misty trailed off, and then Ash felt her hand grip his shirt and pull him in until her face was right next to his cheek.

Ash's heart raced. Her hot breath was tickling him, and he could practically feel her lips an inch away from his skin.

As heat rose to Ash's face in anticipation, Misty moved her face back so her lips were next to his ear.

"I wonder why," she whispered.

Before he could react, she patted his cheek and walked into the cabin.

Ash stared after her, holding his cheek where she had patted him.

He had an idea why.


	6. May - Bonds

Author's Note

Thank you to Unique yet Sensible, Perkaholic, Guest, Guest (2), brtnvm, Halo Ash, ultimateCCC, Vegeta the 3rd, KakeruPB, Nameless Mist, Percyfan1998, and Dentro del Infinito for reviewing!

* * *

"Love you, May," Manaphy cooed from its perch in May's arms.

Ash stepped off the boat's ladder to join May and Manaphy on the sea-level platform. He could see May's eyes glistening as he walked up next to her.

Before he could say anything, Manaphy sprang from May's arms into the air, calling its name as it dove into the sea. May clasped her palms under her chin, watching Manaphy leap through the sun-kissed waves.

Ash felt his heart grow heavy as May remained silent. He knew how it felt to have to say goodbye to a Pokémon you'd grown close to. Butterfree, Pidgeot, and Lapras all flashed through his mind.

Ash cleared his throat. "I'm gonna miss Manaphy."

"Yeah," Brock followed sadly. Pikachu cooed in agreement.

Max looked up at May, clearly feeling for his sister. "May, are you alright?"

"No, I'm not alright."

Ash turned to look at May. The Coordinator lifted her head to look out toward the horizon.

"But I will be."

May's eyes were still glistening, but behind the film of water her irises shone a clear, strong blue. The gentle sea breeze caused her brunette locks to sway, and Ash couldn't help but smile at how radiant and strong she looked in spite of the pain. She had grown tremendously since he met her, and she continued to surprise him every day.

Ash did his best to keep an eye on May until the Blue Lagoon reached the port, but it seemed unnecessary. She waved excitedly as Gabu, Dabu, and Zabu became visible on the dock, and once they disembarked, she intimated everything that had happened in a cheery tone. May showed no signs of breaking down even when they eventually parted ways with the circus crew, which Ash had thought might be another reminder that their adventure with Manaphy was over.

The rest of the day involved traveling by foot and the normal associated conversation and banter. Ash was surprised May was holding it together so well, but he was probably being over-cautious. When he parted with Butterfree, he had been hit hard at first but then calmed down after putting things in perspective and looking forward. Maybe May was doing the same. Ash looked sidelong at the girl, who was teasing her little brother in characteristic fashion. Max was getting riled up as usual, and Brock was trying to calm him down, as usual.

It certainly looked like everything was ok. Ash still felt unsettled, but he pushed the feeling back for the time being.

When the sun set, the group made a camp in the woods. After having dinner and talking for a short while around the campfire, they all tucked into their sleeping bags, exhausted by the whirlwind events of the day.

"Pi, Pi, Pika," Ash was jolted awake by Pikachu, and he immediately jumped out of his sleeping bag, on high alert. Pikachu wouldn't wake him up unless it was something important.

"Pika, Pikachu..." Ash didn't see any immediate threats, but Pikachu was pointing towards the outskirts of the camp, his ears drooping sadly. Ash calmed himself and listened, and he could clearly hear low sobbing coming from that direction. Ash's eyes immediately darted to May's sleeping bag, and his heart sank as he saw that it was empty.

Ash shot Pikachu a small smile. "Thanks for waking me up, buddy. You go back to sleep, I'll check on her, ok?"

Pikachu nodded and curled back up inside Ash's sleeping bag. Ash tiptoed across the campsite, being careful not to wake Max or Brock. He wasn't even sure he should be butting in, considering May hadn't tried to wake him up. The fact that she hadn't said anything to him during the day probably meant she had been planning to find a time to be alone and let everything out later. Ash slowed as he approached the tree behind which he could hear May crying clearly now. His heart ached.

What was the right thing to do? May hadn't asked for him, and it's not like he could bring Manaphy back. If he tried to approach her, May would be embarrassed and possibly angry. Not only would that not help her feel better – it could strain his friendship with her as well.

May's sobbing intensified, and the sound cut through Ash's thoughts. Before he could reason with himself, Ash stepped forward so May could see him.

The light from the campfire was mostly blocked by the trunk of the tree against which May was sitting, and Ash couldn't make out her face. But he could tell by the sudden intake of breath that May had noticed him standing there.

She sniffled loudly. "Ash... Did I wake you?"

"No, no," Ash replied quickly. "Pikachu woke me up."

Ash trailed off, hoping May would assume Pikachu had woken Ash up for an unrelated reason. He didn't want her to feel worse than she already did.

"Oh... Well, this is embarrassing." May gave a short, sad laugh, and Ash felt his heart swell.

"I... know how you feel. Or, I sort of had a similar experience. I mean, it was kind of a different relationship, but I also had to let go of a Pokémon."

He could make out May's head turning toward him. Ash was afraid May wouldn't want to hear him bumble through his story – which no doubt had its differences from May's – but he could make out the younger Coordinator scoot to the side slightly.

Ash calmed himself internally and let his instincts take over. He sat down next to May so that their sides were touching slightly.

"It was pretty soon after I first became a Trainer. The first Pokémon I caught was a Caterpie. It was sort of like Wurmple for you."

May nodded, and Ash continued, knowing he had her attention.

"I was so excited. Thanks to Team Rocket, Caterpie evolved into Metapod, which was the first time one of my Pokémon evolved. Then we had this crazy battle with another Metapod –"

"Your Metapod battled another Metapod?"

"It was basically two Metapod using Harden over and over..."

May laughed shortly, and Ash smiled at the welcome sound. He decided to capitalize on his momentum.

"Soon after that, Metapod involved into this gorgeous Butterfree, and I was so proud. Together we won Gym battles, fought some really strong wild Pokémon, and had a bunch of adventures." Ash swallowed, getting ready to tell the toughest part of the story.

And then one day we ran into this swarm of Butterfree during their mating season. My Butterfree met a wild one it was head-over-heels for. It took a bunch of effort, but eventually he caught her eye, and they paired up. And of course, they had to migrate with the other Butterfree. So... we had to say goodbye. I don't have to tell you how hard that was."

"Oh, Ash..." May put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, and Ash touched her hand gently.

"That's how it was for me. And I don't even want to imagine what it was like for you. Manaphy hatched in your arms. You were its mother."

May's clutch on his shirt tightened, and Ash tightened his grip on May's hand, correcting himself.

"You are its mother."

May sank her face into his chest, and Ash could feel her cheek quivering. He held her with one arm and used his other hand to stroke her hair slowly.

"It's ok. Let it out."

May wrapped her arms around Ash's torso and sobbed into his chest uncontrollably. Ash placed his cheek against her hair softly, ready to accept whatever she needed to express. They sat like that for a while, long enough that Ash lost track of the time. At some point his back started hurting from the angle it was pushed up against the tree, but he ignored it. He concentrated on stroking May's hair, squeezing her body close to his, and listening for anything she might say.

Eventually, May's sobs began to quiet. After a few minutes all he could hear was heavier than normal breathing. Then May swallowed, still pressed against his chest.

"How did you move past it?"

Ash pulled his head back and looked up thoughtfully.

"I'm not sure I did, really. The idea of moving past Butterfree and our time together just hurts me to think about. I deal with it by thinking of it as both of us moving forward together, by virtue of the strength of our bond – even though we're far apart physically. What matters to Butterfree and me is that each of us knows the other is happy, and I think we made the best decision considering that. And now I owe it to Butterfree, my other Pokémon, and myself to stay focused on my goals. And I can be excited about that, because if those goals brought Butterfree and me together in the first place, who knows what other amazing things could happen if I stay the course? That's how I think of it, at least."

There was silence for a second, and Ash was afraid he had maybe come off preachy. May pulled herself off his chest, and even in the darkness he could feel her turn her gaze on him.

"I don't know if I'm at the point where I can actually think like that yet. But thank you, Ash. That's really helpful perspective."

Ash sighed in relief. "Of course, May. And if I can be there for you in any way at any time, please tell me."

There was silence again, and Ash turned his face toward May to try to figure out what was going on. He pulled his head back as he felt a sudden touch on his forehead, and then calmed down when he realized it was May's hand.

"Just checking if you have a fever."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. I'm just not used to you acting like this."

Ash made a sarcastic face even though he knew May couldn't see him. "You're not used to me being your friend?"

May giggled and touched his arm tenderly. "No, not like that. You've been a good friend since day one. But tonight you were... more than that."

"More than that?" Ash repeated, butterflies in his stomach.

"Yes," May said, and he could hear a smile in her voice. She brought her mouth close to Ash's ear. "Tonight, you were a great friend."

Ash felt a tinge of disappointment, though he couldn't pinpoint why. He had gone to May's side hoping to be her friend in a time of need, so he should be happy she felt that way.

Sunlight was just peeking through the trees, and Ash turned to look at May. Even though they had been close for a while, in the light the Coordinator felt closer than before. Her sapphire eyes glinted playfully, and she wore a teasing smile.

"What?" Ash asked self-consciously.

"Nothing," May said, shaking her head and standing up. "You're cute."

May reached a hand out and he gripped it, rising to his feet. He searched her face, having some idea of where she was coming from but not completely sure.

"May?"

May tugged at her bandana, now self-conscious herself. "Never mind. I mean, we can talk another time."

Ash didn't say anything, but he had an idea about what she was getting at. The atmosphere between them was emotionally tender and physically tense. But considering how high her emotions – both of their emotions – were running, it was probably better to postpone addressing that.

"Ready to head back?" Ash flashed May a smile.

May looked into his face for a moment and then stepped forward fluidly, pressing her head into his chest and wrapping her arms around him. Ash reciprocated immediately, encircling the Coordinator just under her shoulders.

They stood like that for a moment, her hair tickling his chin and his cheek pressed against her bandana.

"Promise me one thing, Ash."

"What is it?"

"No matter what happens, even if one day you and I part ways the way you did with Butterfree and I did with Manaphy – promise me you'll be my friend. At least my friend."

"Oh, that's easy. I promise we'll always be friends, May."

May pulled away slightly, keeping her arms on his sides but looking up at him. She gazed directly into his eyes and spoke without hesitation or embarrassment.

"At least friends."

Ash laughed and moved his hands from May's shoulders to her waist, squeezing gently. He didn't hesitate either.

"At least."


	7. Dawn - Valentine

Author's Note

Thank you to Guest, Shane, Guest (2), 0 Jordinio 0, ultimateCCC, pokefan2003, brtnvm, and Halo Ash for reviewing!

* * *

Ash stood outside the tent with his arms crossed, tapping his foot to try to make a point. "Are you done yet, Brock?"

"Don't rush him, Ash. This is a big night for him," Dawn interjected from a few feet away while grooming Piplup.

Ash walked over to Dawn to continue complaining. "I get it. But I can't go training until I help Brock finish getting ready."

Dawn finished brushing Piplup, and the Penguin Pokémon cooed happily before scampering off to play with his friends. Dawn smoothed her skirt and stood up, turning her attention fully to Ash.

"And you can't wait? Not even to help your best friend when he's nervous before his date? Maybe the only date he will ever get?"

Ash laughed involuntarily, feeling his irritation evaporate. Dawn winked at him, her eyes twinkling playfully.

"Hey! I heard that." Brock stepped out of the tent, apparently done getting ready. Ash nodded, genuinely impressed.

Brock had on a white tuxedo with a red bowtie and pocket square. His hair was as spiky as always, but he pulled the look off pretty well overall.

"Well?" Brock looked at Ash for approval, clearly nervous.

The Hearthome City Tag Battle Competition had concluded yesterday, with Ash and Paul beating Dawn and Conway in the final round. Paul had released Chimchar during the competition – much to Ash's disapproval – and the Chimp Pokémon had joined Ash's team, hence why he was so eager to go and train.

Brock had participated in the competition as well, and he'd been paired with Holly, an older Trainer who shot down Brock's initial romantic advances. As the competition wore on, though, Holly became impressed with Brock's skills in battling and caring for Pokémon, and the older Trainer ended up developing a bit of a crush on the Breeder. In fact, she was so enchanted with Brock that she blamed their tag team loss on herself and had left immediately to work on becoming a more worthy partner.

But as it happened, today was Valentine's Day, and Brock went out on a limb and contacted Holly to ask for a dinner date. The woman had been thrilled by the proposition, and she was coming back into town tonight for the date. They had set up camp outside Hearthome early in the day so Brock could get ready before the date, and also so Nurse Joy wouldn't see him in the Pokémon Center preparing for a date with another girl, which the Breeder claimed would break the nurse's heart.

Ash stroked his chin, circling Brock once and then making some minor adjustments to his bowtie and blazer.

"You look great, Brock," Ash said earnestly. As much as he wanted to go and train, with Brock standing in front of him Ash could clearly see that the Breeder was very nervous. Ash himself had never understood why Brock got shot down so much – he was such a great guy – and now that he had a genuine chance, Ash wanted to give his full support.

"Just go out there and be yourself, Brock. She already likes you, and best of all she clearly likes you for who you are."

"So no need to worry," Dawn encouraged, shooting Brock a thumbs up. "Just have fun and go with the flow."

Brock exhaled. "Thanks, guys, I really appreciate it."

The Breeder looked slightly more relaxed, but he continued to stand in the same place, pressing his index fingers together nervously.

Ash narrowed his eyes, recognizing Brock's body language for wanting to make a questionable request.

"What is it, Brock?" Ash asked guardedly.

"Well, you know I'm really nervous, right?" Brock chuckled shortly.

"Yeah?" Dawn prodded.

"I was wondering... Could you guys come with me?"

Ash blinked, not sure what this meant. Dawn grew silent, so he figured he should clarify for both of them.

"What do you mean? Like walk you over to meet Holly?"

"No, I mean like... Can you double date with us?"

It was Ash's turn to grow silent, not sure where to start processing the request. He and Dawn weren't... together... or anything, and Brock knew that, so he clearly was just asking the two of them to come as friends. But...

Dawn cleared her throat. "I mean, I don't have plans tonight."

Silence.

Ash's mind raced. He didn't mind going with Dawn at all, but it was so sudden. And going with a girl to dinner on Valentine's Day? How would they explain it to Holly? Would it make things weird between them?

"If you don't want to go with me, we don't have to go," Dawn said flatly, and Ash felt his heart skip a beat at the clear hurt in her voice.

Before he could say anything though, another voice came from behind him.

"I'll go with you."

Ash twitched in surprise, and Dawn jumped. Ash noticed that Dawn's jump had brought her closer to him, though he was sure that was a coincidence.

They all turned toward the voice to see a green-haired, bespectacled man appear out of the bushes on the outskirts of the clearing.

"Conway?" Dawn said incredulously, clearly creeped out by his sudden appearance. She must have slid closer to Ash again, because he could feel her shudder against his shoulder.

"Indeed, it is I," the older Trainer said, adjusting his glasses and chuckling. "Dawn, I heard that you might require a companion on this most romantic of evenings?"

Ash had no idea where Conway had come from or why he was there, but the idea of Dawn going with him on a date was enough to make him snort. Ash waited for Dawn to shoot Conway down.

There was a pause that felt like an eternity. Ash could feel himself start to sweat. Was Dawn really considering this?

Still standing squarely in front of the bushes, Conway rubbed his hands and smiled. "I take it that means –"

"Sorry Conway, I'm going with Dawn tonight." The words slipped out of Ash's mouth before he could stop them.

The smile disappeared off of Conway's face. To Ash's relief, Dawn spoke up before Conway could challenge his statement.

"You heard Ash. But I appreciate you asking, Conway," Dawn said gently.

Conway appeared happy that Dawn had spoken to him at all, and Ash felt a twinge of irritation.

"Of course. Until next time, Dawn." Conway chuckled and fidgeted with his glasses, seemingly melting back into the underbrush.

Once Conway had completely disappeared, Ash felt Dawn shudder again.

"He's a very intelligent Trainer, but I really wish he would turn down the creepiness a bit," Dawn said, exhaling nervously.

"It's because you're nice to him that he thinks it's okay to keep doing stuff like that," Ash said sternly. "You've got to shoot him down more firmly."

Brock cleared his throat, and Ash and Dawn turned to face the Breeder. "So you two are going to come with me?"

Ash swallowed nervously. He had spoken reflexively, but he would stick to it. "Yeah Brock, we'll come with you."

Brock exhaled and smiled. "Thanks, guys! But you'd better get ready now, we don't have much time."

Dawn nodded and jogged into her tent to change, and Ash walked into the boys' tent to do the same. He rummaged through his backpack quickly. He had a couple of tuxedos, which he thought were too formal. He hadn't said anything when Brock wore one because he thought it was nice for Brock to go in overdressed – it was very "Brock" to go over the top for a date, and he thought Holly would appreciate it.

Ash paused. Would Dawn appreciate if he went over the top? He didn't want to mail this in, even if it was primarily just them accompanying Brock and Holly. Dawn had seemed disappointed that it took him so long to say he would go with her on the double date, and he didn't want to disappoint her again.

Ash sifted through his clothes more carefully, eventually picking out a royal blue button down and gray slacks. He complemented the outfit with black dress shoes and a belt. It took some fiddling to get the tuck right – and he had to mess with his hair quite a bit to get it presentable –but he was eventually satisfied with his look.

"Took you long enough." Brock's voice was the first thing to assail him as he stepped out of the tent, fiddling with his tuck.

"Oh come on, it wasn't –" Ash looked up and found himself lost for words.

It probably had taken him a long time, evidenced by the fact that Dawn had already finished getting ready. She was standing next to Brock, hair up and sans beanie – the way she usually wore it in Contests. She was wearing a red, strapless dress, fitted so it hugged her chest and waist, but flared into pleats at her hips. The dress ended near her knees wavily, so her thighs were momentarily visible as she shifted.

Ash gulped.

"Let's go, let's go." Brock led them out of the campsite toward the city. Ash gathered himself, waved goodbye to Pikachu, and followed the Breeder, and Dawn joined him after hugging Piplup goodbye.

"You clean up nice," Dawn said as she caught up to him.

"Look who's talking." Again, the words were slipping out before he could think about them. Ash willed himself to look forward, knowing that he would be embarrassed if he turned to look at Dawn.

"Thanks, Ash," Dawn said, her voice slightly softer than before.

Ash cursed himself as heat rose to his cheeks. Why was he so nervous? He'd battled in Conference matches in front of thousands of people... This should be easy in comparison, right?

"Here we are!" Brock exclaimed, breaking Ash out of his thoughts. They had arrived at the venue, a small, homely restaurant on the side of Hearthome opposite Amity Square. The restaurant was busy but not raucous, striking a very inviting, professional tone.

"Brock!" Holly waved to the group from outside the restaurant. The older Trainer was wearing a formal evening dress, and Ash had the feeling she had wanted to go over the top for Brock just as Brock had for her. A perfect match.

Brock could barely contain himself, running over to join Holly. "Hey Holly, hope we didn't keep you waiting!"

Ash looked up at a clock along the road, seeing that it was still fifteen minutes before the agreed upon time of 7 P.M. He snickered to himself.

Dawn nudged him, clearly wondering what he was laughing at. Not wanting to draw the attention of Holly and Brock – already deep in conversation – Ash grabbed Dawn's hand and brought it up to waist level, turning her palm over to bring her attention to her Pokétch. Dawn blinked in surprise but caught on as soon as she saw the time.

The Coordinator giggled, and Ash blushed lightly, pulling his hand away. Why hadn't he just pointed to the clock on the road?

"Hey guys, so glad you ended up coming!" Holly gushed from beside Brock. "How about we head in?"

"Yeah, I'm starved," Ash responded immediately, and Dawn giggled again from next to him.

Ash was starting to feel a little more comfortable with the situation, but it only took him a few steps into the restaurant to be thrown off again.

The place was just as warm and homely on the inside as it looked from the outside, but there was a catch – every single table was a small square, only big enough for two.

Maybe the server would push two tables together for them? Brock made this appeal to the server.

"I'm sorry, but we only have a few tables free, none of which are near each other. Would the two couples mind sitting separately?"

Ash felt his heart begin to thump again. Brock had no choice but to agree to the measure, and he waved to Ash and Dawn as he and Holly were taken to a table at least ten feet away from theirs.

"Can I start you two with some appetizers?" Their server asked politely.

"I'm not that hungry, I think I'll pass," Dawn said.

Ash was really hungry. His mind relaxed as he looked over the menu eagerly. "Can I have the lobster bisque?"

"Of course, sir. And for drinks?"

"Cold barley tea, please."

"Water, no ice, please," Dawn said.

The server rushed off, and Ash quickly became aware that he was alone with Dawn again.

"You don't have to be nervous, Ash," Dawn said suddenly.

Ash met the Coordinator's deep blue eyes. He'd been hoping she hadn't noticed the signs, but clearly she had.

Dawn crossed her arms and put her elbows on the table. "If you're looking at this like a date, then just be yourself. That's the advice you gave Brock, right? And if you're not, well... then all the more reason to be yourself."

Ash stared, unsure of what to say. Dawn looked away.

Would Dawn even say what she did unless she was open to considering this a date?

Ash mulled over it for a second, and then gave up. Psychoanalysis wasn't his thing. All he had to do was decide how he felt and act accordingly. With someone like Dawn, the rest would take care of itself.

"Lobster bisque, barley tea, and a water, right here," their server said cheerily as he walked up to table and hoisted the items off a platter. "Do you know what entrées you'd like, or shall I come back?"

"Can I have the pear, blue cheese, and candied pecan salad?" Dawn replied quickly, having been looking over her menu already.

Ash efficiently considered the options. "The chicken parmesan, please."

"Coming right up."

"And can we have another spoon for the bisque, please?" Ash cut in before the server could hurry off.

"Oh, of course." The server produced a spoon from the pocket of his apron before leaving.

"What's that for?" Dawn asked coyly, sipping her water through a straw.

Ash met her eyes again. "You've been taking care of Brock and your Pokémon all day, and we didn't have much for lunch with Brock focusing on getting ready for his date. You sure you're not hungry?"

Dawn blinked once, clearly surprised by the turn in his demeanor. Then, as if on cue, her stomach grumbled.

Ash bit back a chuckle and pushed the bisque to the center of the table, handing the extra soup spoon to Dawn.

The Coordinator narrowed her eyes and took the spoon, dipping it into the bisque and bringing it to her mouth slowly. Ash watched as she blew gently on the soup and then sipped it slowly.

"How is it?"

"...Good."

"What, are you mad at me?"

"A little bit. You're not supposed to point out a girl is hungry, you know." Dawn tilted her head, mock anger on her face.

"Be mad at your stomach then. It grumbled, you know."

Dawn's face reddened slightly.

Ash increased the pitch of his voice to mimic Dawn. "Waiter, could I have a salad with fruit, cheese, dainty little almonds, and whatever else you can add to make it healthy and not at all filling?"

Dawn brought her napkin to her face to stifle her laughter. "That's not how I sound! And it was candied pecans, not almonds."

"Right." Ash laughed along.

Dawn placed her napkin back in her lap and the soup spoon back in the bowl, meeting Ash's eyes playfully. "Another tip, most girls don't take kindly to being imitated."

Ash tilted his head slightly, holding Dawn's gaze. "Good thing you're not most girls."

Dawn held his gaze, her cheeks flushed.

"How is everything?" Ash grinned as Dawn nearly jumped, startled by their server walking up to the table.

"Um, the bisque really hit the spot, thanks," Dawn responded, recovering quickly.

"Excellent. I hope you'll find the entrées to your liking as well."

Ash made sure to share his chicken parmesan with Dawn, and the Coordinator gave Ash a taste of her salad – which was better than Ash had expected. The conversation flowed easily, and they spoke freely about the Tag Battle Competition, Chimchar, Dawn's Contests, and his Gym battles.

Ash felt euphoric as he went with the flow of the evening. He was so engaged and enchanted with Dawn that the time seemed to be disappearing. He only realized how long they'd been talking when he noticed that both of their plates and glasses were empty.

Dawn followed his gaze and then looked up and around. "Wow, I think Brock and Holly already left."

"Yes, they left a little while back." It was Ash's turn to be startled as the waiter came up to the table. "I've come by your table a few times, but you two seemed so deep into conversation I didn't want to interrupt. I'll get your plates – would you like any dessert?"

"I think I'm good," Dawn said, and Ash could tell she was being truthful. He wanted to get out of the restaurant and be alone with her, and if he was reading her right, she wanted the same.

"Yeah, we'll take the check, please," Ash said.

When the check came, Dawn offered to split it, but she didn't argue when Ash offered to pay in full. They made their way out of the restaurant, Ash's hand on the small of Dawn's back. As they passed the entryway, Dawn grabbed a mint from the bowl next to the door and popped it into her mouth. Ash did the same.

The sun had completely set, and the road was illuminated only by intermittent street lamps. Ash improvised, leading Dawn toward a small park visible from the restaurant, complete with illuminated fountains and benches for two. They walked past the benches and stood in front of one of the fountains.

Dawn pulled away from him slightly and turned to face him. Ash did the same.

The splashing of the fountain was the only sound as Ash took in the sight of Dawn. The light from the fountain cast directly onto her face, and her eyes seemed to sparkle a clear, deep blue that put the water next to them to shame. Her facial features were sharpened in the contrast between the blue of her eyes and hair and the red of her dress.

Ash's heart felt like it was beating out of his chest. He snaked his arms around Dawn's waist, closing the distance between them enough to feel the pleats of her dress against his legs. Dawn slid her arms around his neck. Ash's breathing grew shallow. He had never done this before, but everything felt so right.

"Wait," Dawn said softly but clearly. Ash's heart almost stopped, but Dawn didn't keep him in suspense as she spoke, the words seemingly spilling out.

"I need you to know something... I actually planned for us to go on this date. I was on the call with Brock when he was talking to Holly, and at first it was just a joking suggestion, but Brock was ok with it, and so was Holly, and... I'd been thinking about –"

"I know."

Ash felt gratified by the surprise on Dawn's face.

"But... how? Brock?"

Ash laughed. "Nope. But it's Valentine's Day, Dawn. Brock makes a reservation at this busy restaurant for just him and Holly, but we walk right in and he doesn't have to say anything about the two of us being surprise additions? The only reason I could think of was... we weren't a surprise at all."

Dawn looked away. "So, you know... What are you going to do now?"

"This."

As Dawn turned her face back toward him, Ash leaned in and pressed his lips gently to hers.

A fraction of a second passed while Dawn was surprised and Ash's heart beat a million miles an hour. Then her arms tightened around his neck, and she moved her lips against his like it was the most natural thing in the world.

They pulled apart after a few seconds, and Ash couldn't keep a silly grin off his face.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Dawn –"

Dawn gripped the front of his shirt and pulled him in for another kiss. Ash chuckled and closed his eyes, happy to oblige. He had a feeling they were going to be there a while.

And he wouldn't have it any other way.


	8. Serena - Courtesy

Author's Note

Thank you very much to PenningSomeTales (x2), 76ers, Brightwizard21, Rorand, stars90, Doc oc 102, Ale15, ultimateCCC, brtnvm, Halo Ash, Vegeta the 3rd, and Donosi for reviewing!

* * *

Ash waded further into the river, ignoring the feeling of his jeans growing more waterlogged. He loved being close by his Pokémon as he trained.

"Greninja, Cut!" he yelled excitedly.

Greninja leaped out of the water toward the Electro Ball Pikachu had shot its way as part of the training exercise. With a sleek, fluid motion, the Ninja Pokémon sliced the Electro Ball in half cleanly and sent the two resulting hemispheres of electricity hurtling into the river.

Ash shielded his face with his hands reflexively, letting the water that splashed up from the river wash over him. He didn't pay it any mind, pumping his fists at the success of Greninja's maneuver.

"Good job, Greninja! Use Double Team next!" Greninja complied and continued sparring with Pikachu as Ash's attention was diverted by a voice on the riverbank.

"Geez Ash, you're going to catch a cold if you keep training like that!"

Ash turned to see Serena finish her scolding and pitch a pink towel toward him, worry plastered on her delicate features. Ash smiled back, trying to reassure her as he caught the towel confidently.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" As if on cue, Ash sneezed violently, his entire body shaking with the force of the action.

"See?" Serena looked at him pointedly, her hands on her hips.

"It was one sneeze, no worries," Ash insisted, rubbing his index finger under his nose casually.

Serena shook her head and sighed, pointing to the towel before rejoining Bonnie in tidying up the campsite. Ash dabbed at himself, slightly regretful that he'd upset Serena. Clemont ambled toward him.

"Think she's mad at me?" Ash asked as the blonde approached.

"Oh, not really," Clemont said confidently. "She's just worried for your health is all."

Ash nodded, still dabbing at his hair.

"I think the girls are handling the rest of cleanup. Want me to train with you a little?"

Ash lit up, pulling the towel around his neck excitedly. "Yes, that'd be great! I want to improve some of Greninja's moves, but it takes me out of the flow of things to be commanding Pikachu as well."

"No problem, I think I can help with that. Luxray, come on out!"

Ash grinned appreciatively. An Electric type was the best opponent for them to test their mettle.

"Pikachu, come on back! Greninja, we're gonna be working with Clemont and Luxray now."

Pikachu scampered through the shallow water and jumped onto Ash's shoulder, shaking its body furiously. Ash laughed as the water droplets pelted the side of his face.

"Pikachu, come over here! I'll dry you off!" Bonnie called excitedly from the riverbank, holding a small pink towel.

Ash patted Pikachu's back encouragingly, and the Mouse Pokémon jumped from his shoulder into Bonnie's arms.

"Ash, I think you should dry off as well! Don't want to catch a cold," Bonnie advised as she worked Pikachu over with the towel.

Ash waved a hand toward the younger girl nonchalantly. "I've got Serena's towel, I'll be fine! Alright Clemont, ready to go?"

"You bet," Clemont shot back, opting to command Luxray from the riverbank.

Clemont mainly used Discharge to help Ash train Greninja's anti-Electric and anti-Special move strategies. Greninja's Cut was sharp enough to slice an Electro Ball, as they'd shown with Pikachu earlier. But that wouldn't work with a messier move like Discharge, and Ash wanted to see if he could come up with a clean way to defend against it. After trying several different combinations, Ash felt like he had it.

"Luxray, Discharge!"

"Alright Greninja, charge up a Water Shuriken, and follow it up with Water Pulse as soon as possible!"

Greninja shot a large Water Shuriken into the ground a few meters ahead of itself and followed it up by shooting an aqueous orb toward the structure. The ball of water hit the exposed tips of the shuriken, puncturing it and sending water flying forward at all angles.

"Unbelievable!" Clemont yelled, understanding what Ash and Greninja were trying to do.

The multiple bolts of yellow electricity from Luxray – aimed toward Greninja – were instead conducted into what was effectively a net of water formed by the exploded Water Pulse. The electricity crackled along the streams of water and traveled down to where the water was most concentrated – the tips of the Water Shuriken that had originally punctured the Water Pulse. The current was then conducted through the Water Shuriken and into the ground, never coming near Greninja.

Ash ran up behind Greninja and pushed his Pokémon in the back playfully as their combination move finished successfully. After a high five and a few more words of praise, Ash returned Greninja to its Poké Ball and Clemont did the same for Luxray.

"That was impressive, Ash. Although I expected no less from the team of you and Greninja."

Ash rubbed the back of his head, happy that Clemont thought the move was cool. "Yeah, usually Greninja is fast enough that dodging is way more efficient. But against an unpredictable Electric move like that, I like having a strategy to defend that we can rely on. Thanks a lot for training with us."

"Woo! Go Ash and Greninja!" Bonnie cheered haphazardly, swaying on her feet in exhaustion from the long day. Clemont sighed.

"I'd better put Bonnie to bed, and I think I'll turn in, too. Good night, Ash!"

"Good night, Clemont! Sleep tight, Bonnie!" Ash waved as Clemont took Bonnie by the shoulders and guided her to the girls' tent. Pikachu jumped off Bonnie's shoulder and started running toward Ash, but stopped when he noticed Serena approaching from her tent. Ash raised an eyebrow as Pikachu looked between Ash and Serena before running away into the boys' tent.

Serena was already in her pajamas: a lavender hoodie adorned with pink hearts, dark pink short shorts, and a pink hairband. Ash couldn't help but think that she looked cute in the outfit, but he pushed those thoughts aside as the Pokémon Performer approached him.

"Sorry about before. You're not still mad at me, are you?" Ash rubbed his head sheepishly.

Serena looked surprised as she stopped a couple feet in front of him. "Oh, I wasn't mad, Ash. I was just worried. I don't want you to get sick," she said sweetly.

Ash grinned in relief. "Aw, thank you Serena, you're the best."

Serena turned bright red and looked down toward the ground, twiddling her thumbs nervously.

Ash stared curiously. Serena was so cute. The way she acted around him made him feel like everything he said and did was really important. She took his earnest but simple compliments to heart, and she ingrained his passing comments or offhand advice into her always active mind. And he had to admit – although he tried to be subtle about it – he did the same with her compliments or comments. They just had that trust and chemistry.

"Here," Ash said gently, handing Serena's fluffy pink towel back to her. "Thanks again!"

Serena reached out and took it, somewhat skeptical. "Did you actually use it?"

Ash was about to insist that he did when a train of sneezes wracked his body.

"Bless you. Bless you. Bless you."

Ash clutched his abdomen, groaning at the force of the sneezes. He looked up to meet Serena's accusatory gaze.

"Guess I maybe didn't use it as much as I should have."

Serena motioned for Ash to follow her. Ash obliged as the Performer led him to their bench and sat him down near the edge. He blushed as she draped her towel back over his head and rubbed at his hair furiously.

"You don't have to do it for me, Serena," Ash protested in embarrassment. "I can do it myself."

"You had your chance, mister."

Ash couldn't help a smile, and he sat obediently as Serena worked the towel over his mane, making sure to mop up the extra water on his nape, ears, and forehead. He had protested on reflex, but he was really enjoying Serena's mothering. She was thorough with the towel, and he felt warm and dry as she finished up.

"There. That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Serena waved the towel in the air to dry it, looking at him pointedly.

Ash ran a hand through his hair quickly, impressed at how dry it was. "What would I do without you?"

Serena's smiled nervously, her cheeks turning a rosy pink. Ash stood up, ready to head to bed. He wondered whether he should hug Serena good night. Maybe it was the fact that it was night out or that she had just touched his hair, but he felt a physical affection for her that made him want to reach out and pull her close. It didn't hurt that her pink pajamas and honey blonde hair and sky-blue eyes made her seem that much more huggable.

Ash shook his head violently, not sure where those thoughts were coming from. It'd been a long day – maybe he just needed some sleep.

"Ash?" Serena prodded curiously.

"Uh, nothing. I'm feeling pretty tired, so I'm gonna turn in. Thanks again, Serena. Good night!"

"Sleep tight, Ash!" Serena responded cheerily, and the two of them ducked into their respective tents for the night.

Ash sniffled as he tucked into his sleeping bag beside Pikachu. His throat was suddenly feeling a bit weird, but he chalked it up to his tiredness and all his yelling during training. He let his heavy eyelids droop closed, and he drifted off to sleep almost immediately.

Ash suddenly found himself in a dark tunnel, not sure how he got there. Everything was blurry and dark, but he could make out a door of some sort in front of him. He reached out, opened it, and stepped through, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Light flooded in, but everything was still blurry.

"Oh, Ash!"

He couldn't make out who said that, but it was a small figure just ahead of him. Pikachu?

"...ready!"

"It's ready? It's ready." he repeated dumbly, trying to figure out what was going on. His mind felt like it was wading through molasses. Ready? As in ready for a battle?

Ash paced forward intently, still feeling dizzy but dead set on seeing whatever this was through. If Pikachu was ready, it didn't matter how he was feeling – he was going to push through and win this.

A larger figure appeared in front of him and he leaned onto it for support. His hands were wrapped around what felt like arms, thin but toned. He pressed his head into something soft and warm, relishing the feeling. Now that he had support, he could definitely battle.

Ash raised his head slightly to look up. He tried to open his eyes, but it was still blurry. He forced words out nonetheless.

"Now's our chance. Now. Now!" He needed to rally Pikachu for the battle. It was time.

"I-, I-…" He felt too tired to get the words out fully.

"I, what...?" he was surprised to hear back. Ash didn't understand how Pikachu was talking, but he steeled himself, knowing he had to give the full command or Pikachu wouldn't know what he meant.

"I-… Iron Tail... Pikachu." Ash just barely managed to get the words out and fell to his knees, exhausted.

Ash hoped the move was effective, but he couldn't see anything. He breathed heavily, feeling heat all over his body. Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder and another on his forehead.

"Ash has a fever! He's burning up!"

Ash finally recognized Serena's voice, and everything clicked into place. He was still in his pajamas at the campsite, not anywhere near a battle. Just delirious enough to think he was.

Ash couldn't hear anything else that was said, but he was quickly but gently assisted back to his tent and wrapped back up into his sleeping bag. In a couple minutes, a cool cloth was laid on his forehead that brought some relief.

Ash's breathing stayed rapid, and he couldn't register much of what was going on around him. But the washcloth on his forehead never got too warm before it was quickly changed. Every once in a while, the cool cloth would slide from his forehead across his cheek and chin, cleaning up irritating sweat without him even having to ask.

He could tell a couple things. First, it was Serena tending to him: the movements were too doting to be Clemont's, but too precise to be Bonnie's. Secondly, his fever was really high. He'd had fevers before, but usually he could still function. For a fever to be bad enough to drive him of all people to delirium, and for Serena to have to be changing the washcloth as often as she was... he had it bad.

Should've dried himself off earlier like Serena had told him. With that thought, Ash drifted off again.

A loud noise pulled Ash back into consciousness. He was in a battle alongside Greninja? This time, Ash was quickly able to tell he was having a dream, the sort you have just before you wake up. He went through the motions, giving Greninja commands until he finally broke through into wakefulness.

The first thing Ash sensed as he came to was a slight weight on his legs lifting. He opened his eyes to see Serena moving his outfit – cap, shirt, and jeans – from where it had been placed on his sleeping bag. Her brow furrowed as she stared at the clothing intently.

Ash was very confused. Was he still dreaming?

Ash couldn't open his eyes fully – his eyelids still felt far too heavy – so he watched through half lids as Serena placed his clothes on the ground and rose to full height, the look on her face saying that she'd decided on something.

Serena began by removing her hat and boots and placing them on the floor. She then slipped out of her red vest and folded it quickly, placing it next to the accessories. Without hesitation, Serena then tugged at the blue ribbon that tied her light pink dress together, pulling until it came off her collar completely.

If Ash had the physical capacity, his eyes would be bulging. He did still have the capacity to close his eyes... but Ash was mesmerized.

Serena pulled off her dress and tank top, adding them to the pile of clothes at her feet. Ash's breathing, which had been belabored and rapid until then, hitched. Serena had on orange and yellow – Fennekin-themed, he realized – undergarments that contrasted brightly against her creamy skin, highlighting the lines of her lithe body. They were starkly mismatched with her pitch-black stockings, which contributed to the arresting effect Serena was having on his eyes.

As if to remedy the visual clash, Serena placed her left leg on a stool next to Ash's sleeping bag and leaned down, peeling a black stocking away to reveal more pale, smooth skin. Once both stockings were off and she stood in front of him in only her undergarments, Ash could only stare, marveling at legs that seemed to run for days and eyes clearer than water.

Without missing a beat, Serena pulled on his blue jeans, followed by his black undershirt. She seemed very comfortable putting on the clothing, and Ash felt his heart race watching her. She stepped into his shoes and pulled on his gloves. Somehow, it was just as mesmerizing to see her wear his clothes as it'd been to watch her undress.

Serena slowed for the first time as she held Ash's blue collared shirt in her hands. She brought it to her face slowly, her cheeks turning rosy as she took in a short whiff of the garment. A soft smile spread across her cheeks.

Ash closed his eyes tightly, heat rising to his face. He was glad he had a fever, or Serena surely would have noticed. His heart was beating a hundred miles an hour, and his breathing was fast, faster even than the fever had made it. He had wanted badly to keep watching, but when Serena smiled so gently like that he had felt like an intruder. If he hadn't been one already.

Ash listened guiltily as rustling ensued, which he assumed was Serena putting on his overshirt and cap. He heard her pad outside confidently, at which point he couldn't hear much else.

Inside the tent, it was silent.

Ash opened his eyes tiredly. He had no idea why Serena was dressing in his clothes, or why he'd been so discourteous as to watch. Had it even really happened? Or was he dreaming?

Ash turned his head to the right to see Serena's clothes neatly folded and stacked next to her boots and hat. His eyes caught her thin black stockings and he turned away again, blushing. So it had happened? Or maybe it'd happened while he was asleep, and he just had a similar dream?

The tent suddenly opened, and Ash shut his eyes to feign sleep. He sighed inwardly. He still didn't know whether what he'd seen of Serena had been real or imagined, but he knew he had to confess to her at some point or the guilt would eat at him.

There was rustling on either side of the sleeping bag, and he could feel eyes on him.

"Here, take this." Ash was surprised to hear Clemont's voice, and he realized the Gym Leader must have gone to get him medicine.

Ash opened his mouth slightly, and he felt a pill drop into his mouth. He swallowed uncomfortably, feeling the tablet slide down his throat.

"Please, Ash, you've got to get well quick," came Bonnie's voice from the left, and Ash nodded imperceptibly in agreement.

"Let's let the medicine work," Clemont said calmly.

Ash took the cue from Clemont and cleared his mind, letting the medicine run its course.

After about three minutes had passed, Ash felt the heat start to recede and his breathing begin to slow. He was able to open his eyes fully to see the worried faces of Clemont and Bonnie looking back at him. For the first time all morning, he was sure he wasn't dreaming.

First things first. "Where's Serena?"

Clemont looked back at him, clearly surprised. "Uh, she's taking on a challenger in your place."

Things finally clicked for Ash, and he pulled himself into a sitting position, flexing his neck in preparation to get up.

"Are you sure you don't need to rest more, Ash?" Bonnie asked worriedly.

Clemont put his hands up to second Bonnie. "Ash, you need to rest. It's borderline physically impossible that the medicine has even taken effect yet."

Ash patted Bonnie's head and winked at Clemont. "Hopefully this'll change your mind."

In one fluid motion, Ash jumped out of his sleeping bag and strode out of the tent, Bonnie and Clemont protesting all the while. He was immediately assailed by a confusing sight: Serena dressed as him, a painted guitarist with an absurd mohawk, and Team Rocket atop a Magikarp truck with his Pikachu and one other Pikachu in their grasp.

Ash chuckled to himself. Somehow Serena dressing as him was the least absurd thing out of the bunch.

It took a while to sort everything out. Ash called on Greninja to halt Team Rocket, Serena revealed her identity to the guitarist, then all three of them worked together to get their Pikachu back and send Team Rocket blasting off. The guitarist – his name was Jimmy, apparently – then did a guitar solo, which was somewhat entertaining. Ash was hungry, so they all ate together, and then Ash finally took Jimmy on in a battle of Pikachu.

It was late evening by the time Jimmy headed out. Ash took it upon himself to clean up the campsite from their earlier meal considering he hadn't been able to help in the morning.

"Need any help?" Ash looked up from the table to see Serena approaching, changed into her pajamas. She flashed him a smile.

Ash swallowed nervously. He looked behind Serena to see Clemont ushering Bonnie into the girls' tent to get her ready for bed.

That left the two of them alone. Ash swallowed again and quickly put the rest of the cutlery away.

"Uh, I'm just about finished up."

"Oh, good, thanks for taking care of things. By the way Ash, sorry about... dressing up as you. Jimmy seemed like we was going to be loud until he got his battle, and I really wanted to make sure you got your rest."

"Oh geez Serena, don't apologize. In fact, thank you for taking care of me when I was sick. Although I have to admit, I would have never expected you to go as far as wearing my clothes," Ash teased playfully, feeling a bit more at ease.

Serena turned a light shade of pink that matched her hoodie.

Ash turned serious, remembering that he had to confess to Serena. The more he thought about it, the more he could convince himself that he'd simply been dreaming that he witnessed Serena changing. But as long as there was a chance he had actually seen her, he had to let her know.

"Serena."

Serena locked eyes with him, sensing the change in tone. "What is it, Ash?"

Ash exhaled, not sure how exactly he should approach this. He decided to just take the plunge.

"I... I might have seen you changing inside my tent earlier. I mean, I can't be sure because I was delirious for most of the morning... as you obviously know. So I could have just been imagining it. And obviously it's not like you would know whether I imagined it or not. But on the off chance I did watch you... undressing... I just want you to know I'm sorry, and I would never invade your privacy like that on purpose. I mean, I guess I could have closed my eyes so it was a bit on purpose. But it was a one-time thing! It won't happen aga–"

Serena cut off his rambling with a hand over his mouth. Her cheeks were cherry red, and her voice was almost too quiet to hear. "Don't say that."

Ash blinked in surprise, his eyes meeting Serena's. His lips were pressed into her small palm, and Ash stayed silent, aware that moving his lips would be like kissing her hand.

Serena pulled her hand away suddenly, realizing the move had been a bit aggressive. Ash continued to stare silently, wondering why she had chosen to cut him off there of all places and say what she had.

"So... you're not mad at me?" Ash asked slowly.

Serena shifted nervously. "No, I couldn't be mad at you, Ash. Thank you for saying something, though. That's really honest and sweet of you. That's so like you."

Serena looked down and smiled gently, thinking about something, and Ash watched her delicate features in disbelief. He might have watched her undress, and she was going to just let him off the hook? Granted, neither of them knew whether what he had seen was real, but –

"We don't know whether you were dreaming," Serena said.

Ash simply nodded, unsure of what to say. There was no way either of them could confirm whether he had seen her or whether he'd still been delirious, right? Maybe that was why she wasn't mad.

There was a part of Ash that wanted to know whether it'd been real. Serena had looked like an angel in that moment. Ash thought Serena was pretty with her clothes on, of course, but being able to see her in that exposed way that nobody else could made him feel close to her in a new way. But even if there was a way Serena could confirm that what he had seen was real, she had nothing to gain by doing that, in Ash's estimation. It would only be embarrassing for her.

But oh man, did he wish he could know.

Ash was pulled out of his thoughts by Serena's gaze, which seemed to be piercing into his mind. He looked away nervously, suddenly very self-conscious.

"We don't know whether you were dreaming," repeated Serena more confidently, and her voice pulled his eyes back to her. "And I guess we'll never know."

Ash nodded, dropping his gaze in disappointment. His distracted eyes involuntarily tracked the movement of Serena's left hand, which crossed her body and pulled the collar of her hoodie to the right slightly, momentarily exposing her shoulder.

And a Fennekin-patterned bra strap.

"Good night, Ash," Serena said sweetly. She turned and disappeared into her tent in a few strides of her oh-so-long legs – that Ash now knew for sure were even longer than they looked in her bright pink shorts.

Ash exhaled deeply, unable to wipe the silly grin off his face as he walked to his tent to turn in. He'd had some crazy dreams last night, courtesy of the fever. But he was probably going to have some even crazier ones tonight.

Courtesy of Serena.


	9. Anabel - Signal

Author's Note

Many thanks to Shane, HarryPotterFan545, 76ers, ultimateCCC, PenningSomeTales, MjrGenMatt, Dentro del Infinito, Alphadelta-23 (x3), ShadowPokeshipper, and magic135 for reviewing!

Thank you to brtnvm for suggesting the heroine for this chapter!

* * *

Ash knelt by the river and splashed his face with water, lingering to stare at his reflection. Since he'd started his journey, he'd never met with the sort of roadblock he was dealing with now. He'd retried Gyms multiple times, but even the toughest Gyms were lead-ins to the League Conferences; and at the Conferences, when you did run into substantially tougher opponents, you didn't get multiple chances at them – one loss and you were out.

That's something he knew all too well, Ash thought wryly.

Ash gritted his teeth and smacked his cheeks forcefully. Those sorts of thoughts weren't going to help.

He fell back into a sitting position, turning to look at his Pokémon thoughtfully. Pikachu, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and Charizard were deep in conversation, miming out their opinions on how to tackle the fight ahead. Ash smiled and took a deep breath. If they were working that hard for him, he had to return the favor.

It'd been two days since he climbed the mountain with only his Pokémon and some modest rations on hand, committed to rediscovering his original spark as a Trainer and bringing that to bear in the fight for the Battle Pyramid. Brandon's back-to-back smackdowns had made it clear he needed an extra edge in this fight.

But Ash was starting to fear he didn't have that edge. Brandon's experience and power play throttled every strategy he had tried. In the past couple days, he'd had a great time getting back to the basics with four of his earliest Pokémon. Even so, something key was missing. To beat Brandon, he wouldn't just have to rehash everything he knew. His gut was telling him he needed to take it up a level.

Ash scratched at his head and grabbed a stick from the bushes nearby. In previous leagues, the Gyms had mostly built him up linearly – each one taught him an important lesson and pushed him into the next one, which was usually a little harder, but which he could take on with his newly acquired knowledge from the last Gym.

Ash usually wasn't one for structure, but right now he needed something to lean on. It made sense that Scott's Battle Frontier, a standalone gauntlet meant to test the toughest Trainers, had less of that deliberate structure compared to the Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn Leagues, but he knew it still had some.

In the sand near the riverbank, Ash drew out the Symbols he'd earned so far: Knowledge, Guts, Tactics, Luck, Spirits, and Ability. He tilted his head. Each Symbol was named for the challenge it was supposed to present and the quality a Trainer had to have to earn it.

Maybe this was more straightforward than he thought.

Ash began making marks in the sand excitedly. He knew himself well enough to know guts, luck, and spirits weren't his problem – he crossed those out. That left knowledge, tactics, and ability. Ash rubbed his neck, perplexed by how to proceed. He knew each of those simple words involved deep wells of detail Trainers devoted entire lives to. How could he decide which one was the most important for him to develop right now?

It suddenly struck Ash that between the Battle Factory, the Battle Dome, and the Battle Tower, only the Battle Tower had taken him multiple tries to beat. But did that mean that ability was the quality he'd mastered the most of that bunch, or the least? Was there even any correlation?

Honestly, Ash wasn't sure he needed more work in that department. As far as ability referred to battle talent, Ash saw it as one of his strong suits.

" _Let me tell you one thing. A Pokémon battle isn't only about the trainer, you see. It's all about a Pokémon and its trainer truly becoming as one."_

Ash blinked in surprise as Brandon's advice after his most recent loss sprung into his mind. He chuckled to himself. Maybe Brandon had given him the answer from the get-go.

Ash used his stick to draw lines through the drawings of the Knowledge and Tactics Symbols he had scrawled in the sand. He circled the Ability Symbol. It was time to pay a visit to the Battle Tower and a Frontier Brain he knew he could still learn a lot from: Salon Maiden Anabel.

"Hey, Charizard!"

Ash's call pulled the Flame Pokémon out of its animated discussion with Pikachu, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. The other three Pokémon looked over curiously, hearing the resolve in Ash's voice.

"How fast do you think we can get to Cremini Town?"

* * *

The flight from Fennel Valley to the outskirts of Cremini Town turned out to be fast, courtesy of Charizard. Ash jumped off his trusty Pokémon in a forest clearing a few hundred feet from Anabel's house, not wanting to surprise the Frontier Brain. But he was barely out of the wooded area when he was the one surprised by a gentle humming from just beyond the underbrush.

Ash leaned on a branch near the edge of the forest, peering over it to see a small, clear lake and a woman – the source of the humming he'd heard – washing herself in it. Even from the back, the woman's short lilac hair tipped Ash off that it was Anabel.

Ash was frozen in place by the picture of Anabel bathing in the quiet lake, basked in the setting sun. He berated himself for mistaking her for a boy when they first met; now, even without the benefit of seeing her face, her close, delicate shoulders, slender arms, and graceful movements left no doubt in his mind the figure in front of him was a woman.

Anabel's back still held him transfixed, but a small part of him was silently hoping for her to turn around. Ash was distracted momentarily by his own creepiness, and in that moment he realized Anabel actually was turning.

Ash tried to jump back to avoid being discovered, but the tree branch he pushed gave way under his arms and he fell forward, tumbling out of the underbrush with a crash.

Ash laid on the ground, sure he'd never experienced this much humiliation, ever. He laid with his arms over his eyes, at least trying to show he was no longer peeping.

"Uh, hey Anabel."

There was a splash followed by the sound of a towel rubbing against bare skin. Ash swallowed and pressed his arms against his face harder to subdue the impulse to look.

Footsteps padded closer, and he could feel Anabel kneeling next to him. Ash's heart was nearly beating through his chest, accelerated both by his fear of punishment and the proximity of Anabel's bare body. Scattered water droplets touched his left arm and face as he felt Anabel's warm breath in his ear.

"Hey, Ash."

Without pause, Anabel tackled him in a hug and blood rushed to Ash's face as her soft skin pressed against his own, separated only by her towel.

Despite the abundance of stimulation, Ash had his head on enough to know he should be grateful Anabel was happy to see him and not furious at his peeping. He moved his arms to see Anabel's dancing lilac eyes inches in front of his own, and he smiled involuntarily, reciprocating the Frontier Brain's hug lightly. Anabel's excitement and energy were just contagious.

"Why don't I get dressed and you can explain why I have the honor of your visit?"

Ash laughed. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

Anabel chuckled and stood up, helping him up as well. They made small talk as they crossed the short distance to her house. Ash sat on her couch, quelling his heartbeat as Anabel spoke to him while changing behind her dressing screen.

"So, what is it I can help you with, Ash?"

Ash cleared his throat, remembering why he was there. "It's the Battle Pyramid. I've lost there twice, and I'm not sure how to get over the hump. I guess I'm here looking for... inspiration?"

Anabel stepped out from behind the dressing screen, and Ash did a double take. He'd been expecting her normal blouse and trousers, but instead she was wearing a long, lilac one-piece dress with floral patterns. It hugged her body even tighter than she had hugged him earlier, with a dangerously long slit up the right side.

Anabel seemed to notice his gaze, and she posed a little, smiling. "I hope you like the dress. I find the pattern really calming."

"Um, yeah, the pattern, right. The pattern's great."

Anabel shuffled over and sat close by him on the couch, her expression shifting from playful to thoughtful.

"Brandon's giving you a hard time, huh? I don't blame you. When Scott originally introduced the me and the other Frontier Brains to Brandon and the concept of the Battle Pyramid, we were a little put off. Not to toot my own horn, but all of us are formidable Trainers. To set Brandon's Battle Pyramid apart as the only facility that moved, and moreover the final facility that Trainers had to beat to claim victory over the Frontier – it gave him a symbolic significance none of us were quick to accept."

Ash nodded understandingly.

"But Brandon welcomed us to challenge him, and Noland, Greta, and I all took him up on it. He beat all of us, convincingly. I got close, but his Pokémon's power was just overwhelming."

"He beat you, too? Wow..."

"Yeah... It doesn't sit well with me, but having experiencing his battling firsthand, I acknowledge his role in the Frontier as the Pyramid King."

Ash furrowed his brow, worried. If Anabel couldn't take down Brandon, could he?

"But..." Anabel raised his head with her index finger, and Ash blushed at how close she'd come to him. "That doesn't mean you can't beat him."

Ash looked into Anabel's eyes, which showed she was fully serious. Her confidence in him stoked his confidence in himself, and he gripped her by the shoulders, absently noticing her cheeks flush as well.

"I want to believe that. But I know I'm still missing something. Something about being one with my Pokémon that I think I can learn from you."

Anabel nodded. "Let's take Brandon down together?"

Ash smirked. "Sounds good to me."

Anabel took him by the hand and led him out of the house. By now the sun had set; here, on the outskirts of the town, there were few lights to illuminate the way, but Anabel led him confidently.

"Where are we going?"

He could tell by her voice that Anabel turned her head to respond, though it was so dark he couldn't make out the motion.

"You didn't think I was going to hand you the answers, did you? I'm with you in this fight, but I'm still a Frontier Brain. I'm gonna make you work for it."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

Ash followed Anabel's lead until they came to a stop somewhere in the forest, and she let go of his hand.

Ash suddenly felt a lot more aware of the darkness. An irrational tendril of fear crept into him: what if Anabel left him there? He had left all his Pokémon back at her house, so he'd be alone and very lost in the dark forest.

Ash reached out to see if Anabel was still there. His fingers sure enough found the fabric of her dress. He retracted his hand quickly, feeling embarrassed. What was he, a little kid? Still, he felt better knowing for sure she was there.

"Just because it's dark doesn't mean you can get handsy, Ash."

Ash was glad the darkness at least covered his blush. "It was an accident! My bad."

"I know, I'm just pulling your leg." Anabel's laugh subsided, and her tone turned contemplative. "But why did you do that, Ash?"

Ash could tell this was part of his training. He wasn't sure how yet, but he took Anabel's question seriously.

"I guess because I wanted reassurance."

"Ash, close your eyes and tell me. In general, what do you see when you battle?"

Ash obliged, thinking back to his battles with Anabel. "Uh, I see my Pokémon. The field or arena, wherever we're battling. My opponent's Pokémon. The referee. Any spectators, I guess. And my opponent, of course."

"Good. Now put yourself in your Pokémon's shoes for a second. What do they see?"

Ash squinted, imagining himself as Pikachu. "Mostly the same things, I think. I mean, as the Pokémon, I'm obviously not seeing myself. I'm not really seeing my Trainer, either, 'cuz they're behind me."

Ash paused, Anabel's point sinking in.

"I'm getting the feeling you're catching on. As the Trainer, you can always see your Pokémon. But it's very rare that your Pokémon sees you. And yet, your Pokémon trusts you to give commands in the moment for it to be successful in battle – to both land hits on the opposing Pokémon, and to protect itself from harm."

Ash's eyes flashed open, realization sinking in.

"The same way you had a natural desire to reach through the dark to feel I was still here, I believe in battle a Pokémon naturally craves the security of knowing its Trainer is riding out the uncertainty of the fight alongside it."

"I feel you, Anabel. I've never really thought about it in that way, but I do try and be there with my Pokémon. I try to connect with them as best I can, and –"

"I know you do, Ash. You're better at it than any other Trainer I've met. That's why I'm surprised you're here. You could have consulted with any Frontier Brain, on any aspect of battling. It takes humility to ask for advice on something you're already good at, so I'm impressed you're here. I want to give you whatever boost I can to get you over the hump."

"I appreciate it, Anabel, but I'm not sure I'm that good at it. If I do connect well with my Pokémon, it's because of things that come naturally to me. I have no idea how to work on deepening those connections to help in battle."

"That's where I come in. Nobody can do this for you, and most people can't even describe how to do it. But there's one thing I have that most people don't."

"Your special ability," Ash said, half-jokingly.

Anabel giggled. "We can call it that. Like I told you before, I don't quite know how it works myself. But I brought you out here because I can at least describe how it feels. And if there's anyone out there who can figure the rest out, it's you, Ash."

Even in the darkness, Ash could feel Anabel's eyes locked onto him. He absently wondered if that was him beginning to tap into his own special ability or just something between them, in that moment.

Ash felt Anabel's hands find his own with a precision that belied the surrounding darkness. She interlaced their fingers and pulled their locked hands between their chests.

"Close your eyes." Ash acquiesced. "When the Pokémon, the grass, or the flowers talk to me, they aren't voices I hear in my head. It's deeper than that. They're like radio signals I can sense if I listen with my heart. But I have to be open to sensing them. If I'm not – if I'm rattled or upset, or my own inner voice is too loud – I'll miss them, because they're that quiet."

"So I have to listen really hard?"

"Sort of. The hard part is you're not listening with your ears. You're listening with your heart... your soul, even."

Ash could reconcile what Anabel was describing with the concept of Aura he'd learned at Camaron Palace. He didn't know how to work with his Aura, but he'd used it before accidentally, so maybe with Anabel's guidance and his past experiences, he could tap into it again. Either way, it at least gave him someplace to start.

"You're using your head too much," Anabel said, apparently sensing his thoughts.

"That's one I don't hear often," Ash quipped.

Anabel laughed, squeezing his hands lightly. "Just be yourself, and focus on me for a second."

Ash turned his attention to Anabel, and for the first time he felt something like what Anabel was describing, like he was tuning into a radio station he hadn't known was there. Her hands pressing against his were helping him establish the connection, but he could actually see beyond that. Her arms, tensed slightly to provide the force against his hands, her shoulders back and relaxed, her expression serene.

Then, deeper.

An upwelling of goodwill towards him; a focus directly trained on the state of his being; and a prayer for his success. He felt like he was seeing Anabel naked. Moreover, he could tell she was letting him in freely. He felt overwhelmed by the strength of her emotions toward him. Could she see inside him like this, too? Why was she willing to feel this much for him? Ash could feel his inner voice growing louder and disrupting his focus. He realized he'd been holding his breath, and he inhaled suddenly and violently, feeling like he was rising out of a pool in which he'd nearly drowned.

"Ash, you felt it, didn't you?" Anabel's voice was excited but controlled. "I know it's overwhelming, but you're almost there. It's hard. It might feel like you're drowning. But you can't hold your breath while you're under here, waiting to go back up to breathe. If you do that, your focus will always be split. If you want to master this, you have to learn how to breathe while you're down here."

Anabel squeezed Ash's hands comfortingly, and he felt his breathing start to slow back to normal. He still felt somewhat overwhelmed, but he made a noise of agreement, understanding where Anabel was coming from.

This was scary, but he wasn't backing down.

"If you want to do this, now's the moment. You ready to go back in?" Anabel asked gently.

Ash found his voice. "I'm ready."

"Good. I'm going to work you into it slowly."

"I trust you," Ash said without pause. He sensed Anabel smiling.

"Here we go. Close your eyes, and find Pikachu. He's farther away, but his signal should come easy to you."

Ash calmed himself, closed his eyes, and opened his heart, looking for signals that might be coming from Anabel's house. Pikachu's bouncy, energetic Aura came washing over him like a tidal wave. But it crashed into him gently, almost subdued.

Ash grinned. "He's sleeping."

"Very good. How about Charizard?"

Ash paused, letting his focus ebb away from Pikachu and flow toward a larger, hotter, haughtier Aura signature.

"He's annoyed we aren't training, but enjoying the rest." Ash pivoted confidently, identifying his other two Pokémon in the proximity. "Bulbasaur and Squirtle are on the lawn outside your house."

"Showoff," Anabel said, but he could hear the pride in her voice. "Ok, enough warmup. Top of the tree, to my left."

Ash struggled to reign in his sensor, squinting as he swung his focus back to the immediate vicinity. He felt his grip weakening.

Anabel sensed it, tightening her grip on his hands as if to compensate. "No matter what physical, outside pressures you feel, you have to pace yourself on the inside. A disturbed heart tightens up and locks other living things out. But stay calm, and you can hear everything."

Ash separated his physical senses from his internal ones. His sensor came back into focus, and he swung it toward the tree to Anabel's left. He could sense one life near the top of the tree, free-spirited but also yearning for growth.

"Uh, it's a Flying type. Close to evolving... Um, Pidgey?"

"Close. Let it come to you."

Ash let his mind be still, but kept it finely attuned to the bird's signature. Behind the desire for growth, he felt a breadth of experience. From there, the name flowed into his mind without effort.

"Pidgeotto."

"Very good."

"I think I'm getting it."

"Let's see. Under the shrub at the base of the same tree?"

Small but persistent... a confidence that it could gnaw its way through anything.

"Rattata."

"About ten feet under us?"

"Two Sandslash and a Sandshrew, sleeping."

"Very nice. Here's a tougher one. There're multiple Gyarados in the lake next to my house. Find the one that I rode earlier today."

Ash recognized the sudden increase in difficulty but calmly turned his mind in that direction. Gyarados had strong enough Aura signatures that finding them wasn't hard. But the one Anabel had ridden? Ash calmly probed for detail among the signatures. What if he looked for Anabel's signature – one he could identify easily – within each of the Gyarados?

"It's resting near the edge of the lake, on the side nearest your house. It really enjoyed its time with you today."

Ash could sense Anabel grinning. "Alright smarty pants, last one: cluster of trees about fifty feet to your left."

"Nine Beedrill, three Kakuna… and four Weedle. Let's not go over there."

"You're one to talk."

They both laughed, cutting the tension of the training exercise. Ash could tell Anabel opened her eyes, and he followed suit. It was just as dark as when they'd begun, but now Ash felt like he could clearly see the Frontier Brain standing just a few paces in front of him. They pulled apart, finally disentangling their fingers.

"Good work, Ash. That's all I've got for you. You learn incredibly fast."

Ash scratched his head sheepishly. "You're a great teacher, Anabel. But do you really think I'm ready for Brandon? I think there's a lot more I can learn from you."

Anabel smiled wryly. "Trust me Ash, I'd love to spend more time working with you on empathetic abilities. I've had these my entire life, but you're the first person who's been able to understand and share in that part of me. But while my ability helps me battle, it's not primarily built for that. If we kept on doing this, your ability would end up looking just like mine – and that wouldn't be the best way to shape it for your goal of becoming a Pokémon Master."

Ash remained silent, knowing she was right but not altogether happy about it.

"Now that your ability to empathize is this finely tuned, you can use it in battle against Brandon however you see fit. You won at my Battle Tower, Ash. I know you've got what it takes to mold this ability into the edge that'll win you the entire Battle Frontier."

Ash dipped his head, humbled by the Salon Maiden's kindness. "Thank you, Anabel."

There was an awkward pause. Both of them knew what came next.

"I don't want to go yet," Ash said stubbornly.

"I don't want you to go yet. But... we both know you have to leave, and the longer you stay, the harder it's going to be for me to say goodbye," Anabel said regretfully.

"Give me one more exercise," Ash said stubbornly. "A hard one. I won't go until I figure it out."

"Ok." Ash could hear Anabel exhaling shakily. "Here's one you didn't get last time."

Ash frowned slightly, not remembering any exercise she'd given he hadn't already solved.

"Sense what's in my heart."

"In your heart?" Ash said dumbly, caught off guard.

"Yes," Anabel said, her characteristic confidence back. "Also..."

"Also?"

"Catch me!"

Without warning, Ash felt Anabel push him playfully and heard her feet scurry away quickly.

Ash laughed and ran in the direction of her footsteps, casting his radar out for Anabel. It was still pitch black, but he'd just spent enough time with her, and so intimately, that her signature was etched into his psyche. He honed in on her with a relaxed but precise focus, and he felt the entire forest respond to his search. The grass sprang back under his feet, propelling him forward; the trees seemed to whistle as he grew close and guide him around their trunks safely; Bug Pokémon on the forest floor advertised treacherous rocks and vines; and the flowers in Anabel's wake seemed to sing her name.

Ash rounded a cluster of trees, suddenly finding Anabel's Aura burning brightly in front of him. He tackled her to the ground in a hug, cushioning her head and back so she wouldn't get injured. The lack of surprise from Anabel as they fell told him she had been well aware he was about to catch her.

Ash didn't look inside Anabel's heart, even though she'd asked him to sense what was inside. His heart was beating so fast as they fell together, faces only inches apart, he wasn't sure he could muster the necessary calm.

But he didn't have to. Anabel was making this one easy on him.

After all, he wasn't the one who'd planned for them to fall safely onto a soft cushion of leaves, or who'd summoned Butterfree to surround them, their wings reflecting enough moonlight to see each other's faces. He didn't yet have the empathetic skill to have wrestled the forest into helping him chase down a telepath who'd known that forest for years. And hours earlier, he definitely didn't have the ability to surprise a lifelong empath in the middle of her bath.

Ash braced himself above Anabel, hands pressed into the bed of leaves on either side of her head. She looked up at him, her deep lilac eyes swimming with invitation.

Ash didn't need any special ability to read the signal that'd been sent his way all evening, especially with Anabel's eyes sending that same signal in that very moment.

 _Kiss me._

And he did.


	10. Cynthia - Perfect (1 of 2)

Author's Note

Breaking protocol a bit here with a two-shot. My apologies, but the second part of this one is almost done, so it should be up within a week.

Thanks a lot to PenningSomeTales, Shane, Hashirama 1710, X, ultimateCCC, Ale15, magic135, and Ability King KK for reviewing!

Credit to MidnightFenrir for requesting the heroine for this one!

* * *

"Um... Can you explain that one more time?"

It was the third time Ash was asking, but Cynthia's expression remained calm and patient on the video phone.

"So... The Pokémon League hosts an annual ball in each region for its VIPs to meet and mingle. This year, I ended up being in Unova, and I was invited even though I'm Sinnoh's Champion."

Ash nodded along. "Yup, I understand that part."

"Thing is, it's not absolutely required, but most people do bring a plus-one."

"I get it, continue."

"So, I ran into Alder the other day. You know him, right, the Unova Champion?"

"Yeah, we met when I journeyed through Unova, nice guy."

Cynthia made a noise of begrudging agreement. "Right. So, he asked me to be his date for the ball, but... I'm not into Alder that way, and I didn't want to give him the wrong idea. So I told him I already had a date."

Ash stayed silent, needing to hear the next part again in full.

"And he asked who it was, and I didn't actually have a date yet, so I just blurted out that it was you."

Ash mussed his hair. "See, that's the part where you lose me."

Cynthia's lips curled into a small smile. "Why don't you just come with me? I'll give you a full explanation in person."

Ash couldn't believe how fast this was progressing. But other than his total disbelief that he could be going as the Champion of Sinnoh's date to an official Pokémon League event, he didn't have any reason not to go.

"When is it?"

"This Saturday."

Ash glanced at the date in the lower right corner of the screen. It was Thursday, and he was home and free until Monday.

"I mean, I guess I can make it then."

The energy in Cynthia's face seemed to dim slightly as she sensed his uncertainty. "If you don't want to come with me, I can go alone."

Ash observed the slightest shade of a pout on Cynthia's face, and his mouth was moving before he could think.

"No, no, I'd love to go with you! It's an honor, really. Just a bit of a surprise."

Cynthia's face brightened. "Great! Thanks, Ash! I'll book you a ticket. Hold on, let me see what's available."

Ash's screen was filled by silky blonde tresses as Cynthia looked down, presumably at an electronic device. It'd barely clicked in his mind that he should offer to book the travel himself when Cynthia's face flashed back into view.

"How does leaving this evening out of Kanto and returning Sunday from Unova sound?"

Ash blinked. He was about to offer to get there tomorrow night and leave Saturday night. But, as sudden as it was, and as random as it was, there was no reason for him to complain. Cynthia's title, skill, and knowledge could be the closest thing to his dream he'd ever encountered. A chance to be around her for a little longer?

"Sounds perfect."

* * *

Ash collected his suitcase from the overhead bin and shimmied down the aisle to the plane's exit door. Pikachu stretched on his shoulder, standing at attention as they descended to the runway. Ash took a deep breath of the Unova air. He hadn't expected to be back here for any reason other than his unfinished business at the Unova League.

"Welcome back, Ash," a voice called to him as he deplaned, and in the waning light Ash could make out Cynthia's figure leaning against her blue jeep.

"Hey, Cynthia!"

The Sinnoh Champion gave him a quick hug and motioned for him to put his luggage in the back. She snatched Pikachu off his shoulder, greeting him with affectionate scratches behind his ears. Pikachu cooed happily, and Ash laughed at how familiar his Pokémon was acting with a League Champion. Sometimes he couldn't believe how lucky he was to meet the people he did on his journeys.

Pikachu jumped back onto his shoulder, and Cynthia waved them both into the car. Once they got onto a highway, Cynthia cleared her throat.

"So, I promised you an explanation about this whole thing."

Ash rubbed his neck sheepishly. "It's not a big deal, Cynthia. I think it was nice of you not to lead Alder on. It just surprised me that you thought of me to be your fake da–, uh, plus one."

Cynthia sighed. "I'll be honest, I was surprised too. But when I was put on the spot to come up with a name, you just popped into my mind. I did think about it before I called you. I could certainly go alone, or take someone else and explain it away at the ball, but I would feel bad for lying. At least this way, my lie becomes the truth."

Ash could tell that Cynthia was being earnest. Honestly, it made him feel special that Cynthia thought of his name when put on the spot. She could have said Paul, or Brock, or Cilan, or any of the other men she knew. But she chose him.

Well, maybe not _chose_. But close enough.

"Ash?"

"Huh?" Ash realized he hadn't followed up after Cynthia's explanation.

"So... are we good?"

"Yeah, absolutely. In fact, thanks for having me!"

"I'm glad you're taking it so positively, Ash. Most people would see this as a chore."

Ash laughed loudly. "Sorry, but I'm not buying that. Most guys would kill for this chance."

Ash caught himself. The words had just spilled out of his mouth.

"Is that so?" There was playfulness in Cynthia's voice. "And why's that?"

"Uhh, because you're... Well, I mean you're..." The car rounded a corner, and Ash spotted Cynthia's villa directly ahead. "Hey, look at that, we're already at your house!"

Cynthia sensed his lame attempt to divert her attention and laughed knowingly, allowing it. "Yup, we're home."

Arriving this time in the quietness of the setting sun, Ash marveled at the grandeur of Cynthia's villa. And this was just one of her houses. No matter how many times he reminded himself what a big deal she was, it was always impossible to reconcile it with how down to earth she acted with him.

"Are you hungry?"

"Nah, they fed us pretty well on the plane."

"Alright, then let me just show you to your room. I bet you're pretty tired."

Cynthia led him upstairs, twirling her keys around her index finger. Ash was tired, but he still felt a bit jittery with the excitement of suddenly coming to Unova and staying with Cynthia.

"I can stay up for a while if you want to talk about details for the ball or anything."

Cynthia pushed open the door to a guest bedroom, motioning him in.

"Not at all, we have plenty of time for that. For now, rest up. Good night, Ash."

Ash turned and smiled, doing his best not to inhale in surprise at the sight of Cynthia leaning against the doorjamb, the combination of her sharp gray eyes and casual smile almost bewitching.

"Good night, Cynthia."

* * *

Ash awoke feeling refreshed. He rolled out of bed quietly so as not to disturb Pikachu. It didn't take him long to freshen up, and suddenly he was nervous again. The last time he had stayed in Cynthia's villa, Cilan, Iris, and even Dawn had been there as well. Now that it was just him and Cynthia, he was a lot more aware of the fact that he was in her house.

Ash pulled the door open slowly, peering out to see the villa inactive. His stomach guided him toward the kitchen, but Cynthia wasn't there and he wasn't sure whether he should help himself to food.

"Good morning, Master Ash."

Ash nearly jumped at the deep male voice from behind him. He turned to see Jervis, Cynthia's butler.

"Oh, hey, Jervis! My bad, I didn't realize you were here since I didn't see you last night."

"Apologies, Master Ash." Jervis bowed slightly. "I offered to pick you up myself, but Champion Cynthia insisted on going. I must admit I went to bed by the time you arrived."

Ash waved his hands disarmingly. "No worries. Also, you can just call me Ash."

Jervis bent his head. "Though I appreciate the thought, I could never take such a liberty. Would you like some breakfast?"

Ash nodded understandingly. "That would be great, Jervis."

"What would you like?"

"Uh… what are my options?"

"Anything you would like."

Ash had to suppress a laugh. He had a feeling that living in Cynthia's world would take him some getting used to.

"Do you know if Cynthia is awake yet?"

"Yes, Champion Cynthia has been awake since 6 AM, as usual."

Ash's eyes bugged. According to the microwave, it was almost 8:30 now.

"Really? What has she been up to?"

"At 6:30, she came downstairs and checked her mail and set her appointments for the day. From 7 until 8, she had breakfast and reviewed tape of high-profile battles in the Sinnoh region that occurred over the weekend. At 8, she went downstairs for her daily exercise. She said you were welcome to join her after your meal."

Ash swallowed. This was the life of a Champion. Disciplined, regimented, thorough. He wanted to join Cynthia's workout as soon as he could.

"What did she have for breakfast? I'll have the same."

Ash inhaled his oatmeal with banana, a yogurt, and a sports drink before thanking Jervis for the meal and rushing up to change into exercise wear. He raced back down, and Jervis guided him to the basement gym. Ash did his best to catch his breath so he wouldn't be meeting Cynthia already winded.

"Champion Cynthia, Master Ash is here to join you."

Jervis moved from in front of Ash, bringing Cynthia into view. Ash couldn't help but stare.

Cynthia's long blonde hair was tied up into a thick hemispherical bun, kept in place with a single gray pin. The hairstyle showed off beautifully symmetric features, her normally shrouded left eye sparkling alongside the right. She wore a simple black sports bra and black yoga pants that ended just before her belly button, both emblazoned with the Pokémon League logo. The form fitting clothing showed off Cynthia's figure, her hips and bosom barely contained by the taut fabric. Her waist featured little fat at their sides, tight instead with trained oblique and abdominal muscles. Slender but toned arms swung loosely at her sides as she walked up to Ash.

Ash tried to rip his eyes away, but they were glued to Cynthia. It was all he could do to keep them trained on her face. He tried to distract himself by observing her sweat, but what was a sticky, irritating substance on his body looked like a glistening sheen on her skin.

"How'd you sleep, Ash?"

"Good, uh good. Very good."

Cynthia smiled. "I'm glad. So are you up to join me? I've got about a half hour left in this workout."

"Yeah, yeah, absolutely, for sure." Ash mentally facepalmed, wondering what it would take for him to focus.

"Great. You look like you just ate – how about you spot me for now, and in the last fifteen minutes you show me what you can do?"

Ash simply nodded, finally pulled from his stupor by the imminent reality of working out with a Pokémon League Champion.

Cynthia seated herself on a flat bench, rolling her shoulders back.

"I've finished my compound exercises, I'm moving on to a shoulder press now. Can you check my posture?"

"Sounds good."

Cynthia lifted a pair of twenty-five pound dumbbells to her knees, and with a low exhale moved them to her shoulders. She breathed in and then exhaled while hoisting the weights above her head; when her arms were almost fully extended, she brought them down again until the weights were again at shoulder height. She repeated the sequence rhythmically.

Ash kept his eyes on Cynthia's back to monitor her posture, but he didn't have anything to comment. He could have placed a ruler against her back and it would have lain flush. Her form was flawless.

After fifteen reps, Cynthia brought the dumbbells back to her knees with a longer exhalation. She turned her head slightly to address him.

"How was that?"

"Perfect."

"Are you sure? Around the tenth rep I feel like my lumbar spine went a bit concave."

"You mean your lower back?"

"Yeah. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but maintaining good posture is one of my goals with my workouts. Can you brace my back during the next set?"

"Brace your back?"

"Yeah. You're right handed, right? Put your right forearm against my lower back and I'll actively push against it. Make sure there's no give."

Ash swallowed and leaned over from behind Cynthia, placing his right forearm as instructed. She nodded approvingly.

"Good. Can you use your left arm to brace the back of my neck?"

Ash straddled the bench and bent over, struggling to maintain the position of his right arm while placing his left against Cynthia's upper back. She peered over her shoulder to look at him.

"Sit down, Ash, I don't bite."

Ash chuckled nervously and sat himself on the bench, pressing his torso into his forearms to better brace Cynthia's back. He did his best to open his legs away from the bench, but they were still alarmingly close behind hers. She didn't seem to notice.

Ash distracted himself by counting Cynthia's reps, making sure to note the pressure she was applying against his arms. She did thirteen reps this time, and Ash spoke up without being prompted.

"That looked even better. I did notice you pressed back harder during the last few reps of the set, maybe because you're aware you're bending the opposite way?"

Cynthia stretched her neck, nodding. "Yeah, I think it may be fatigue at that part of the set. I start breathing bigger, and my lower back tends to pull in when I do that, I think."

"Is there a reason you're doing such long sets instead of going up in weight?"

"I want to work on muscle endurance more than strength right now. I can actually do a reasonable set with up to seventy pounds, but I'm sticking to fifty right now and trying to do more reps."

Ash gave a low whistle. He wasn't sure he could do a shoulder press at seventy pounds, and he was a fairly filled out male. Ash surveyed Cynthia appreciatively. Her svelte frame had to belie her body's strength.

Cynthia's grip of the dumbbells on her knees tightened as she prepared for the next set. Ash silently braced her back again, observing her form faithfully through her twelve reps and reporting to her afterward.

"Thanks, Ash, this is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for from a workout partner. I've just got a few exercises left, help me out?"

"Happy to," Ash responded, glad to be useful.

Ash spotted Cynthia during her triceps extensions and ball crunches, and merely observed during her bicep curls. She finished with hip thrusts, and Ash wasn't sure whether to be happy or sad that she didn't need a spotter on them.

"Alrighty," Cynthia placed the barbell to the side and rose, her breathing only slightly rapid. "Your turn, Ash."

Ash felt his competitive spirit ignite, fanned by Cynthia's expectations for him. He stretched to warm up while Cynthia cooled down.

"I've got about ten minutes before I have to go. Anything you want a spot for?" Cynthia asked.

Ash eyed the barbell. "Yeah, I'd like to do a bench press."

Cynthia reached for the bar. "How much weight?"

"225," Ash said confidently.

Cynthia stopped and looked at him. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"You're not trying to be a showoff or anything, right?"

"No, no," Ash reassured, finishing his stretches. The truth was that the most he'd ever done was 210 for four reps or so. He would never fool around in a gym – he knew better – but he would stretch things a bit, just to show Cynthia he was the real deal.

Cynthia mounted four 45-pound plates onto the bar and clipped the ends. Ash laid back on the bench, taking deep breaths.

As soon as he lifted the weight off the rack he knew he'd bitten off more than he could chew. He lowered the bar to his chest, mentally preparing himself for the embarrassment of not being able to raise it.

"Slowly. Breathe in, plant your feet, and visualize all the strength in your body flowing into your torso and arms."

Cynthia's soothing voice vaporized his panic. Her hands slid from their underhand position on the bar to momentarily rest on his knuckles, reaffirming his grip. The idea of her cheering him on made the fire in him roar.

With a yell, Ash lifted the bar to full height, using Cynthia's advice to guide his body. Her hands left his to return to their spotting position, but Ash's engines were started. Breathing in, he pulled the bar down to his expanding chest, and pushed it back up as soon as he was ready.

Cynthia started counting. "Two. Very nice. And... three, good. Can you do one more? Push, push, almost there. And... four!"

Cynthia helped him rack the bar, clapping as he sat up. "Well, color me impressed. When you lifted the bar at first, I wasn't sure you could even do one."

Ash chuckled nervously. "Or so I made you think."

Cynthia met his eyes and winked knowingly. Ash's cheeks flushed.

"I'm heading up. When you finish, find Jervis – he'll let you know where I am."

Cynthia pulled the pin out of her hair and shook it free, long blonde locks jumping over her shoulders as she took the stairs.

Alone, Ash took a deep breath. Cynthia had a magnetizing effect on him he hadn't noticed when they were around other people. He wasn't sure if it was her beauty or her skill or her intelligence. She commanded his attention in a way that almost scared him.

He slapped his cheeks to regain focus, deciding to table the issue for now. He completed a few more compound exercises and decided that was enough for the day; he was more used to training without equipment, and he didn't want to do too much in a new setting and get sore. After cooling down, he ran upstairs to take a shower.

By the time he was out, Pikachu was awake. He greeted his companion and went in search of Jervis, whom he found in the kitchen.

"Master Ash, I assume you're here to feed your Pokémon?"

Ash hoisted Pikachu onto the counter. "You read my mind. It's just Pikachu with me right now, though."

"Alright, I shall prepare some custom Poffins for him right away."

"That would be great." Ash paused, looking around. "Do you know where Cynthia is?"

Jervis looked at the clock. "It's nearly 10:30, so she should be completing her daily meditation. If you wait in her office, she should meet you there. Worry not, I shall take care of Pikachu for the day."

After bidding Pikachu goodbye, Ash made his way to Cynthia's office, which was the picture of organization. Books lined the walls for the most part, the army of shelves broken only by two glass cases in the far corner from the entrance. Tall, gold trophies filled them, accompanied by medals and pictures of Cynthia and Garchomp. The near side of the room featured a spacious work desk, mostly empty but for a laptop, a pen holder, and a portable calendar. Ash strolled over, eyes drawn to the calendar.

There were so many obligations listed for each day that they nearly overran the space in the boxes. He turned the page and raised his eyebrows – Cynthia was booked through the next month. Was this the reality of being a Champion?

Out of curiosity, he turned to previous pages in the calendar, frowning as he noticed a pattern. Previous months had less events written in, with their timings spaced farther apart. Six months ago, Cynthia's handwriting on each day of the calendar looked far looser and more natural. He turned back to this month's page. Her handwriting was still impeccably neat, but had become much smaller to accommodate how much she was scheduling each day.

"Snooping, are we?"

Ash jumped at the sound of Cynthia's voice, hurriedly placing the calendar back on her desk. He looked up to see her standing at the door, head tilted in amusement. She was wearing her all-black outfit, which Ash was unused to seeing in Unova.

"Uh, not at all, just looking around," Ash said sheepishly.

Cynthia smiled. "I was just teasing. I need to be in town by 11 for a meet-and-greet. Want to come? Fair warning, we won't be back here until dinner, so you'd have to spend the whole day with me."

Ash rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Oh, no, perish the thought."

Cynthia stuck her tongue out slightly and picked up her car key, motioning for Ash to follow her. They made it to the venue, a theater near Undella Bay, by 10:55. Apparently, a group of kids were coming from Lacunosa Town on a field trip, and Cynthia had agreed to meet with them to kick off their day.

Ash watched from the sidelines as the kids entered the theater, saw Cynthia on stage, and squealed in excitement. Children he imagined would normally be impatient or disobedient seated themselves close to the front and listened intently. Cynthia told them about what their day in Undella Town would be like and encouraged them to look for experiences to expand their horizons as they grew, closing her talk by emphasizing the importance of working together to achieve their dreams.

"When every life meets another life, something will be born. I hope you guys are excited for all the people and Pokémon you're going to meet and what those relationships can create – today and in the future!"

The students cheered. Ash rubbed the back of his neck nostalgically, remembering when Cynthia had first said the quote at the Amity Square Ruins.

They accompanied the students down to Undella Bay, where they answered students' questions while also chaperoning. Ash noticed Cynthia signing quite a few autographs, for kids, teachers, and tourists alike.

"12:20," Cynthia muttered, looking at her watch as they saw the kids off on a Wailord watching tour.

Ash looked at her curiously. "Anything the matter?"

"No, just making sure we're on time. We have until 1 for lunch, then it's off for a photoshoot."

"Photoshoot?"

"For the cover of Pokémon Time Magazine. They also asked for an interview."

Ash remembered the magazine from his friend Todd once saying how it had launched his photography career. This was a big deal. But Cynthia didn't linger on it.

"My grandmother is meeting us for lunch, by the way. You're ok with that, right?"

Ash shrugged. "Yeah, of course. It'll be good to see her again."

They trekked up the bay, eventually arriving in an open-air eatery. Ash recognized Professor Carolina sitting at a table, already talking to a waiter.

"Hey, grandma," Cynthia said casually as she strolled up to the table.

Professor Carolina stood up quickly, eager to hug her granddaughter. As they pulled apart, she noticed Ash. He waved.

"Hello, Professor. Long time, no see."

The professor shook Ash's hand warmly. "Perhaps, but I hear about you all the time from Cynthia. She's very excited about you visiting her."

Cynthia looked away. "I wouldn't say I'm _very_ excited. I'm excited an appropriate amount."

Ash laughed as they seated themselves. He decided to order some rice balls; Professor Carolina ordered crêpes, and Cynthia opted for a salad.

"So, are you excited for the Time shoot?" Cynthia's grandmother gushed. "What an honor. My granddaughter, gracing the cover of Time. I wish I could say I didn't see it coming, but I did."

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "Ignore her, Ash. It's her life's mission to embarrass me."

"So, when did you know Cynthia was a prodigy, exactly?"

"Ash!"

The lunch went by quickly, dominated by Professor Carolina's effusive praise of her granddaughter. Ash goaded her on, interjecting to heap compliments or ask a question that would spur the professor on. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the normally composed Cynthia's cheeks grow flushed by the end of their meal.

"And... it's 12:45, Ash and I have to be going," Cynthia cut in, stopping her grandmother.

Ash chuckled, taking pity on Cynthia and standing up to emphasize that they had to go. They walked with Professor Carolina until her car.

"And, dear, I do hope everything is alright." For the first time that day, Ash heard the professor's voice grow serious.

Cynthia crossed her arms and stood tall, emanating confidence. "Everything is fine, grandma. Why would anything be wrong?"

The two hugged, and Ash could have sworn the professor locked eyes with him over Cynthia's shoulder.

"I expect you out here during the spring and summer, but it's fall now. I wasn't sure what to make of it."

Cynthia held her grandmother by the shoulders, her voice firm. "Don't worry about me, I'll be just fine."

The older woman nodded, stepping into her car. "Take care, dear. And Ash, please look after my granddaughter."

"Grandma!"

Professor Carolina winked and sped off. Ash waved. "Will do."

"Ash!"

Ash mainly fell back to observing and keeping Cynthia company for the next few hours. Until 2:30 she was with the Time crew, which consisted of a 45-minute photo shoot and 30-minute interview. Ash was disappointed when he saw that the shoot would feature Cynthia in her normal clothes. Then again, as nice as it would have been to see Cynthia in, say, a swimsuit, at least he wouldn't have to share it with the rest of the world.

Ash shook these thoughts off as they headed for the Pokémon Center, where Cynthia was slated for some exhibition battles with local bigshots and their relatives. Ash was happy to get to see Cynthia battle, and she was every bit as powerful as he remembered. She only had to use her Garchomp to dispatch all her opponents, and when she could she called the matches early to spare having to knock out opposing Pokémon. Her grace and finesse during battling, something so inherently messy, never ceased to amaze him.

By 3:55, they were inside a conference room in the Pokémon Center, where Ash sat in on a call between Cynthia and Charles Goodshow, the president of the Pokémon League Competition Committee. The half an hour or so the call lasted was what Ash had originally been expecting when he knew he'd be around Cynthia, i.e. administrative duties associated with being Champion and discussions she was expected to weigh in on as such a prominent figure in the Pokémon League.

At 4:35 the call ended, and by 4:45 the room was filled with young Trainers about to get their first Pokémon. Cynthia gave a talk a bit more mature than the one she'd given in the morning, but with many of the same themes. Though it officially ended by 5:15, Cynthia stuck around to sign autographs and take pictures until all of the kids had milled out. She sat at the head of the table, looking at nothing in particular. For the first time all day, Ash heard her sigh. He looked up at her from the other side of the table.

She smoothed her hair and shot him a small smile. "Ready to head home?"

Ash stood, stretching exaggeratedly. "Absolutely, I'm so beat from working so hard all day."

Cynthia pushed him playfully as they exited the Pokémon Center. Ash chuckled, but he'd only been half-joking. He was naturally high energy, and he had a fairly high endurance from being on the road most days. Yet he felt some fatigue from the jampacked day – and he had only been observing Cynthia be the actual center of attention. She had to have incredible stamina and patience to do this on the daily.

He was about to get in the car when he noticed an ice cream stand on the opposite side of the road. He only had to point, and Cynthia was walking in that direction.

Ash was shocked when Cynthia spoke up first, barely surveying the options.

"Vanilla, small cone, please."

Ash did a quick scan. "I'll have a small rocky road, thanks."

They both finished their ice cream in the car, making small talk on the way. It was a little past 6 when they got back to Cynthia's villa.

"I'm gonna go up and change, I'll meet you down here around 6:30 for dinner? Jervis probably has something ready." The Champion was already taking her coat off as she headed for the stairs.

Ash resisted the urge to stare. "Yup, sounds good."

He quickly checked in on Pikachu, then headed upstairs to change into his pajamas. He chose some simple blue shorts and a solid white T-shirt and made his way back to the dining room, where a number of metal domes sat at a table set for two.

"Looks like Jervis pulled through," Cynthia said, joining him in the kitchen. She was wearing a black sleepshirt that reached her mid-thighs, its thin side slits telling Ash that she probably wasn't wearing any shorts underneath. Her hair was tied in a thick braid and slung over her left shoulder, restrained with a simple gray elastic.

It was the third outfit he'd seen her in that day, and Ash was starting to realize that Cynthia's beauty shone no matter what she wore.

Beneath the metal domes they found steaming hot wild rice soup and some fresh baked bread. They silently dug in, both craving something warm and hearty after a long day.

It wasn't an uncomfortable silence, but after a few minutes Ash wondered if he should start some conversation. Maybe thank Cynthia again for letting him stay with her? Discuss the ball? Talk about something from the day? He remembered Professor Carolina's worries about Cynthia being in Unova in the fall. Should he broach that? Or would it only be piling on after an already long day?

"What are you thinking about, Ash?"

Ash looked up to see Cynthia sipping from her spoon, her curious eyes probing him.

He shook off his uncertainty and decided to speak his mind. It wouldn't be perfect, but overthinking what he was going to say wasn't his style.

"Did you enjoy your day?"

Cynthia gave him a bemused smile, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean, Ash? You were with me all day, you know everything I did."

Ash tore off a piece of bread and dipped it in his soup. "I know everything you did. I'm just asking whether you had fun."

Cynthia stirred her soup idly, leaving a long pause before she answered. "I fully made use of all the time in the day. It was fulfilling to carry out my duties as a League Champion."

Ash felt a tingle of irritation. He nodded and looked down, quickly finishing his meal.

"Ash?" He could tell Cynthia sensed his frustration. "I answered your question, why are you upset?"

Ash took a deep breath, calming himself. "I don't know. I'm sorry, it's not my place to pry into your life."

There was silence. Cynthia was looking away from him, toward the wall. Her face was expressionless, but clearly his words had upset her.

"I'm sorry, Cynthia –"

"I don't mind it being your place, Ash," Cynthia met his eyes. "I wouldn't have asked you here if I didn't feel that way."

Ash rubbed his index finger under his nose, humbled. "Look, you're a role model for me, Cynthia. I can't even dream of some of the stuff you've accomplished. I don't want to act like I know what your life is like. But the idea that you could be working this hard to be the person we all admire, and yet be the one person not getting any enjoyment out of it... I mean, I would just hate that. That's the only reason I asked."

The words flowed out on their own, and Ash wasn't sure he articulated them well enough to make his point. But he looked straight into Cynthia's eyes, trying to will his message across.

Cynthia reached across the table and took him by the hand gently. She stood up, and he followed suit.

"Cynthia?"

"I hear you, Ash. I just want some fresh air."

She led him out onto the patio, where it was pitch black. He noticed two lamps mounted on the side of the villa, but Cynthia didn't turn them on. They walked to the railing and leaned on it, next to one another.

"I think the last time I had fun was when you and your friends were here with me. Who knows, maybe that's what I was chasing by coming to Unova. Or by telling Alder that you were my date to the ball and getting you here."

"Cynthia..."

"Whatever you do, don't feel sorry for me, Ash. I'm incredibly blessed with all I have and all I've been able to do."

"That doesn't mean you should be miserable."

"I'm not miserable."

"Cynthia –"

"I'm not, really."

"But are you happy?"

"Ash, you can't be happy every day. Don't tell me you've been happy every day on your journey."

Ash sighed, trying to give words to his instincts on this. "I haven't. But I wake up almost every day at least happy with my chances of enjoying it. Do you honestly feel that way? Because if I were constantly overscheduled a month out, I wouldn't."

Cynthia was silent, and Ash wondered if he'd been too aggressive. But after a moment, he heard Cynthia shuffle, and she pressed her right shoulder into his left, almost leaning on him.

She sighed. "No, it's been a while since I felt that way."

Ash paused. He wasn't sure where to go from here. He'd wanted to make sure Cynthia was aware of how hard she was pushing herself, and he'd wanted her to know he was worried about her. But he hadn't planned much further. Despite her reassurance that he had the right to intervene in her life, what concrete advice could he possibly give Cynthia?

Ash could sense Cynthia turn toward him to speak. "I have an idea."

He should've known Cynthia would solve her own problem. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Tomorrow, you're running the show."

"Running the show?"

"Maybe my schedule has been too rigid, for too long. And I can tell you're not comfortable enough to tell me what you think I should do about it. So don't. Show me what you would do, if you were me."

Ash was taken aback at how well Cynthia had read his feelings and produced a viable compromise. Even in her moments of vulnerability, she oozed insight and class.

"I had a shorter day tomorrow considering the ball, anyway. I'll get out of everything else, and you get to decide what I do until 5 PM, when the ball starts. What do you say? Are you up to it?"

Ash smirked, sensing the challenge.

"You're on."


	11. Cynthia - Perfect (2 of 2)

Author's Note

A reminder that this is the second part of Cynthia's two-shot, so be sure to read the previous chapter before this one. Also, I'd greatly appreciate any feedback you can give: more two-shots? stay with the core four heroines, or keep including wildcards? Let me know in a review!

Thank you very much to Hashirama 1710 (x2), MidnightFenrir, KJC71790, ultimateCCC, Lit. Metalhead, TheManTheMythTheMeme, and Guest for reviewing!

Credit to MidnightFenrir for suggesting Cynthia!

* * *

Ash reviewed his plan mentally as Cynthia joined him outside the villa. He'd asked her to wake up at her usual time, 6 AM, and met her to workout at 7:30. At his request, they'd trimmed their exercise so they could finish, shower, and meet outside around 9. It was 8:53. Now the real fun would begin.

"Your watch and cell, please."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow but handed over her Pokétch and phone without argument.

"So, where to first, Captain Ash?"

Ash scowled. "Ha-ha-ha. First, we're going into town to shop for our clothes for the ball."

Cynthia stepped into her jeep. "I thought I told you we had our clothes for the ball. I ordered them online."

Ash crossed his arms as the jeep took off into town. "Do you prefer to order clothes online?"

"Not really, it's just faster."

"Why?"

"Online, I just look for stuff in my size and order. If I go to the store, I end up feeling like I have to try everything on. It takes forever."

Ash shrugged. "Maybe. But isn't it more fun?"

"Ok, I see your point. But what about the stuff I ordered?"

"I mean, I guess I can wear mine. Just return yours."

Cynthia gave a low whistle. "You are really serious about this."

"Yes, ma'am." He frowned. "Hey, if you ordered my clothes, how'd you know my sizes?"

She giggled. "I called your mom."

"Cynthia! Hold on, how'd she know my sizes?"

"She said she has to stitch clothes for you every time you go to a new region."

Ash rolled his eyes. "She doesn't have to. Though I do appreciate it. Why didn't you just ask me, though?"

"Do you know your measurements?"

Ash paused. "No comment."

Cynthia laughed. "Ok, we're here."

The Undella Town Boutique stood out even from the outside, large and excessively decorated amidst most of the small, laidback establishments of the town. They entered almost directly into a maze of clothing racks.

Ash had asked himself whether shopping was really necessary on the schedule. It was, after all, one of his mortal enemies. But he'd included it because he missed Cynthia indulging her almost airheaded love of variety, usually on display when she inundated ice cream vendors with questions about flavors. And he could see by the gleam in Cynthia's eyes he'd made the right choice.

Another reason he knew he'd made the right choice: Cynthia trying on ball gowns and runway modeling for him, eager for his opinion. Strapless, off-the-shoulder, floral, long sleeve, A-line, fitted, frilly, simple, gaudy... It didn't matter. Cynthia made them all look good.

"So?" Ash asked as she finally emerged in her own clothes, bag in hand. "Which one did you choose?"

"It's a surprise," Cynthia said emphatically, holding him at arm's length while paying so he couldn't see the dress. "By the way, you were useless. There's no way those all looked the same on me."

Not the same, Ash thought. Just equally flattering.

Ash noticed a store staffer struggling to rerack the mountain of dresses Cynthia had tried but not taken. Whatever she'd chosen, his goal in coming to shop had been accomplished.

"So, where to next?" Cynthia asked as they exited the store.

"The Giant Chasm," Ash said. "You know the way?"

"Of course. Northwest of Undella Town, Route 13."

"Heads up, this one won't be just you and me."

"Someone will be joining us?"

"Yup. You're gonna be showing the area to the students of Opelucid Academy."

Cynthia turned her eyes away from the road briefly to shoot Ash a glance. "Really, Ash? I like to be prepared for presentations, you know."

"I know, but it was short notice all around. Also, I bet you've been to the chasm a bunch of times on your own just to explore. You're telling me you can't navigate it with a few guests? Or you're not interested in a possible Kyurem sighting?"

Cynthia merely grunted in response, but he could tell she was excited. He knew anything involving ruins, legendaries, or Pokémon-related mysteries would engage her. Combine those with opportunities to be an ambassador on those topics to others, and he had the formula for the types of activities that would fulfill Cynthia's obligations and have her genuinely enjoy doing it.

They arrived a few minutes before a bus full of Opelucid Academy students did, and – as Ash suspected – Cynthia accommodated them perfectly, even without much advance notice. She navigated the labyrinthine forest of the Giant Chasm with ease, showing off common locations for groups of rare Pokémon like Absol or extraterrestrial Pokémon like Solrock. Cynthia sprinkled in tips for how to observe Pokémon, how to engage them, and how to navigate unfamiliar areas, all while answering wide-ranging questions that the students posed. If Ash didn't know better, he'd have thought she was the official tour guide for the area.

When they reached the cave at the far end of the crater, Cynthia advised caution as they went further, asking only those comfortable to come in groups of four. Ash stayed behind with the rest of the students, watching as Cynthia escorted the groups in, showed them around, and ushered them out, smiling happily each time like she was the kid seeing everything for the first time.

When they got back to the bus, Cynthia said goodbye to the students and began giving autographs. Ash sidled up to her to whisper in her ear.

"Walk toward the car."

Cynthia's brow furrowed as she signed a T-shirt. "What? Why?"

"You can sign stuff on the way, but don't stop as you walk. Make it clear you have to leave."

Cynthia paused but ultimately complied, wading through the students and giving the occasional autograph as she approached the car. She waved as they got in and drove off.

"Alright, Ash, where are we going in such a rush?"

"Lunch."

"Lunch?" Cynthia asked incredulously. "Some of those students may never meet a Champion again."

"Maybe," Ash admitted. "But being who you are, if you are willing to give your time to everyone who wants it, I can guarantee that you won't have any for yourself. I'm not saying you can't sign autographs for a whole group. It's a ridiculously nice thing you tend to do, and it's part of what makes you amazing. My point is just that you should always be moving toward what you personally want to be doing next so you don't get caught up in giving everything of yourself away to others. You think those kids who didn't get autographs are gonna go home hating you? Heck no, they're going home and telling their parents how great you made their day and admiring how as soon as you were finished there you were on your feet to go somewhere else. My view of this is, the more you stay true to your personal passions, the better a role model you are for everyone else at the same time. It's actually a win-win, if you think about it, if you can accept that you're maybe not going to be as nice or as giving at times as your personality might want you to be."

Ash took a deep breath, not sure where all the words had come from. They'd spilled out, the crystallization of all his thoughts on the matter since it had come up last night. He looked forward, almost afraid to see Cynthia's expression after he'd bared his soul on the topic.

Cynthia remained silent as they drove into town, not really responding to Ash's soliloquy. He didn't think she was mad, as she made small talk and laughed while they had lunch. If anything, she seemed to have the best energy he'd seen since he arrived in Unova.

"So, what's next, sir?" Cynthia joked as they got back in the car.

Ash chuckled. "At 1, you're doing a panel for the city –"

"Geez Ash, some heads-up!"

"– with a local treasure hunter and relic items maniac. It'll be about rare items, with you speaking on their origins and any connections to Pokémon."

"Oh," Cynthia said, clearly hooked.

"You're welcome."

Ash stood on one side of the stage to moderate, watching the auditorium fill with viewers despite the short notice and his limited advertising. All three of the panelists spoke, but Cynthia was clearly the star, connecting items presented by the other two to anecdotes about her visits to ruins or encounters with legendary Pokémon. Afterward, more than half the audience questions were directed to Cynthia.

"How did I do?" asked the Champion as they finished and left the stage.

"Perfect," Ash said, and Cynthia nodded quietly.

"Where to next, Ash?"

"Battlefield behind the Pokémon Center."

"Ah. I have some battles scheduled?"

"Nope."

Cynthia grinned. "Are you and I finally going to battle?"

Ash sighed. "Unfortunately, no. As much as I wish we could. Just wait and see."

They reached the field, which was empty. Ash gestured. "All yours."

Cynthia looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're the Champion of the Sinnoh League. You have to battle everyday, and you clearly have been. But let's be real, how many people come out here and actually give you a challenge?"

Cynthia pursed her lips. Ash smiled, knowing she would never put down other Trainers, especially behind their backs.

"Pretty much the only person who can push you and keep you sharp is you. So I'm gonna go inside, and I'll come get you when we have to go. Have fun, Cynthia."

Ash had barely turned to walk into the Pokémon Center when he heard Cynthia's excited voice.

"Garchomp, Gastrodon, Glaceon! Battle Dance!"

Ash sat on a chair just inside the windows of the Pokémon Center, his back to the battlefield to give Cynthia privacy. He hadn't lied about his real motive, maybe just disguised it a bit. When Cynthia asked him to run her day the way he would in her shoes, he knew one thing was mandatory: personal time with her Pokémon. Cynthia would never forget to maintain those relationships, but he figured if she was depriving herself of things she enjoyed, this could also be one of them.

After about an hour, Ash strolled outside, breaking out in a grin at the sight of Cynthia grooming Garchomp while Gastrodon lounged on her back and Glaceon lay curled up in her lap. Cynthia was always calm, but he couldn't remember seeing her this contented in a while.

"Ash!" Cynthia smiled at him as he approached. "Want to groom Glaceon?"

Before he could respond, Glaceon jumped out of Cynthia's lap into his chest.

"Oof!" He laughed, catching the Fresh Snow Pokémon and watching it cuddle into his arms. "Hey there."

"She likes you," Cynthia said, winking at him.

Ash began grooming Glaceon with slow, deliberate strokes. "You know what they say, Pokémon take after their Trainers."

"Yeah, good point," Cynthia replied, not missing a beat.

Ash felt his face flush, and he looked down, focusing on grooming Glaceon.

After he finished his ministrations, Glaceon thanked him with a few licks of his face, and Cynthia returned her Pokémon to her belt.

"So, what's next?" Cynthia asked as they trekked toward her car. Ash merely pointed at the ice cream stand across the street, and they both walked that way.

"Flavor?" The vendor asked Cynthia as she reached the cart.

"Uhh, what all do you have?" the Champion asked, looking over the colors intently.

Ash bit his lip to stop from laughing as the vendor went over his list of flavors, struggling to keep up with Cynthia's questions about each of them. This was the Cynthia he knew and loved.

They got in the car, both holding the same ice cream flavors they'd had the previous day.

"Where to now?" Cynthia asked, taking delicate licks from her cone.

"Back to the villa," Ash declared. "We've gotta get ready for the ball."

"What? What time is it?"

Ash laughed.

"What?"

"That's the first time you've asked that all day," Ash replied, handing Cynthia's Pokétch and cell phone back to her.

Cynthia blinked, apparently not having realized it herself. She looked down at her Pokétch, her eyes bugging. "It's almost 4? Wow, today went by fast."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Ash said, puffing his chest out jokingly.

"You should," Cynthia said earnestly. "But we better get back home now so we can make the ball."

They made it back within fifteen minutes, both going to their respective rooms to change and agreeing to be downstairs by 5. According to Cynthia, Jervis had probably put his clothes inside his room already, and sure enough he found them in a suit carrier on his bed.

The outfit was complicated. His pants were gray and slightly baggy, cuffed in the middle of his shins. He wore a red dress shirt with a light blue kerchief covering the base of his neck. White gloves, long white socks, and black dress shoes were his other accessories. It didn't look particularly impressive until the final piece: a sapphire-colored Swellow-tail coat with royal blue patches along the buttons. The coat was meant to be worn open, the buttons themselves outlined in gold trim just like the top of the high collar. The cuffs were gold and red, blending into his gloves with white frill.

Ash examined himself in the mirror, hoping he was spruced up enough to go as Cynthia's date. The thought of it still brought butterflies to his stomach. Ash did his best to shake them off and went downstairs, waiting near the door for Cynthia.

"Good evening, Mr. Ketchum. You clean up nice."

Ash looked up to see Cynthia near the top of the stairs. His breath hitched.

Cynthia had chosen a much simpler dress than he'd expected, and somehow looked far more beautiful than he could have imagined. A single shoulder bodice emphasized her bosom without revealing it, baring instead her delicate collarbone and athletic arms. Fitted until the waistline, the gown then flowed into a skirt that nearly brushed the ground, revealing only the tips of her heels. The top three quarters of the dress were jet-black, the bottom of the skirt grading into gold with speckles that slowly coalesced.

Cynthia stepped down the staircase slowly as Ash circled to its side, observing her in a trance. Her blonde hair, a slight shade lighter than the bottom of her dress, was tied in a side waterfall braid, the large rings running diagonally like the strap of her bodice while the loose hair fell in thick tresses against her bare back. She wore no necklace, ring, or gloves, her only accessories being black-and-gold figure-eight earrings.

Her sparkling gray eyes teased him as she joined him on the landing. "Like what you see?"

"Do I," Ash said, finally remembering to breathe again.

A playful smile danced on her lips. "I'm tempted to hear more, but we've got a ball to attend. Ready?"

The ball was held at the Riches' family villa in Undella Town. Jervis drove them over, walking them into the top floor of a building next to the main house.

The floor was a rectangular viewing deck, positioned over the actual ballroom. Below, the dance floor was filled with small circular tables at which Unova regional VIPs gathered in groups of three or four, one occasionally breaking off to join a different table. Jervis stopped Ash and Cynthia at the top of the stairs, standing to their side stiffly. Ash noticed Cynthia snake her right hand under his left arm, fingers resting on his bicep. He instinctively bent his arm 90 degrees, his forearm a few inches in front of his stomach.

"Presenting," Jervis bellowed from the top of the stairs, "Cynthia, Champion of the Sinnoh League, accompanied tonight by Ash of Pallet Town."

The entire crowd below stopped talking and looked up as Ash and Cynthia began walking down the stairs. There was a moment's pause in which Ash could feel his heart in his throat, and then the sound was overpowered by applause from the guests. Cynthia raised her left arm and waved, a picture of charm and charisma.

Ash took a deep breath and put on his best smile, hoping his teeth weren't chattering.

"Welcome, my dear," Charles Goodshow greeted Cynthia as they reached the ballroom. "I'm so glad you could be here. And Mr. Ketchum, I've seen you in some epic battles, but fighting the other men here for a dance with your date tonight may be your toughest."

Ash smiled wryly. "And you've seen me endure some tough losses, sir, but tonight won't be one of them."

Cynthia raised her eyebrows at him, and Mr. Goodshow had a hearty laugh. He turned his attention back to the Champion, growing more serious.

"I'm sorry to talk business, but I'd like to finish that discussion we started on the phone yesterday. May I borrow you for a minute?"

"Yes, of course. Ash, I'll find you once I'm done." Ash's opened his mouth to protest at being left alone, but Cynthia closed it with two fingers on his chin. She winked as she walked away. "This is payback for ordering me around all day."

Ash snorted at his luck. He should have known better than to think Cynthia's pride would endure him lecturing her that much, even if he was doing it with good intentions.

"You dog," a male voice assailed him out of nowhere.

Ash bristled, turning to see Alder staring him down, smirking suggestively. "Oh, hey, Alder, long time, no see!"

Alder ignored him, coming close and tossing an arm around Ash's shoulders. "You know, I asked Cynthia to be my date, but you'd already snapped her up by then. How'd you score her? Give me all the details."

Ash cleared his throat, trying to come up with a satisfactory response that wasn't a total lie. "I think she did it to help my career, to be honest. She knows I haven't won big yet, and meeting the bigshots here could give me the inspiration to get to the next level."

Alder straightened, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose it wouldn't be out of character for Cynthia to go out of her way to help a promising Trainer. Beauty, brains, and a big heart. Man, what a perfect woman."

Ash hummed in agreement. "Sorry if I got in your way. Did you come with anyone?

Alder straightened, adjusting his collar. "Yes I did, no worries there. I brought Nurse Joy."

"Oh? Which one?"

"Undella Town's."

"Ah, very –"

"And Lacunosa Town's. And Opelucid City's."

"You came with all three of them?"

Alder looked around nervously. "I came in with Undella Town's, but I also invited the other two, so they're probably here somewhere. Hopefully they don't find out I asked all of them."

Ash squinted. "You know they're all related, right? They're definitely going to talk to each other. Actually, I think I see them over there."

"I'll see you later, Ash. Take care," Alder walked away quickly, noting the trio of Nurse Joys looking his way.

Ash sweatdropped as the Champion scurried away. He made a mental note that not all Champions were as sensible off the battlefield as Cynthia.

"Mr. Ketchum, it's a pleasure to see you again."

Ash turned to see a petite woman with blonde hair even longer than Cynthia's staring up at him, her blue eyes searching his face. After a moment, Ash recognized her from the Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup as Caitlin, one of Unova's Elite Four.

"Caitlin, the pleasure's all mine. Please call me Ash."

The young woman tilted her head. "Alright, Ash. Cynthia and I are close friends. I hope you're taking good care of her."

Ash bobbed his head. "I'm doing my best, but she tends to end up taking care of me most of the time."

Caitlin sighed. "I can imagine. She's been nothing but helpful since I joined the Elite Four here. We spend a lot of time together when she comes to Unova in spring and summer. It's odd to see her here in the fall. I reached out to ask if anything was the matter, but she said she was fine."

"And you think she's not?" Ash probed, looking for another person's view of how Cynthia was doing.

"I... don't know," Caitlin said, looking down. "My gut says something must be off, but my brain wonders what that could be. I mean, she's as perfect as they come."

Caitlin's eyes shone with affection and admiration as she said this, and Ash could tell she had a genuinely close friendship with the Sinnoh Champion.

"What about you, Ash? Have you observed anything the matter with Cynthia?"

Ash felt himself sweat. He didn't want to reveal anything he and Cynthia had discussed or his own personal thoughts on the matter. Partly because he didn't want to betray Cynthia's trust. And partly because he liked that Caitlin looked up to Cynthia the way she did, and he didn't want to endanger that with his personal speculation.

While all this ran through his mind, Ash opened and closed his mouth, unable to smoothly deflect.

Caitlin giggled "I get it, Ash. I don't know you well, but I've heard your name with good things attached. If you're looking after Cynthia, I can rest easy."

Ash rubbed his head sheepishly. "Sorry, Caitlin. Wish I could say more."

The Elite Four member shot him a kind smile. "Women like men who can keep their secrets."

Ash blinked, not sure how to respond. Caitlin curtsied and shuffled away.

"Ash!" He turned to see three Nurse Joys headed his way.

"Oh, hey, Nurse Joy. Um, all of you, I mean."

"Do you know where Alder went? We have a... matter to discuss with him."

The three nurses looked at him intently, and Ash threw up his hands.

"I'm sorry ladies, he did talk to me earlier, but I lost track of him after. Good luck."

"Thanks, Ash!"

The trio of nurses scurried away, and Ash prayed for Alder's safety.

"Someone's popular."

Ash jumped to the side at the low, sultry voice in his ear. He looked back to see Cynthia shooting daggers at him, her arms crossed.

He laughed nervously. "Why would you say that?"

"Because you haven't moved from where I left you."

Ash looked down to see he was, in fact, at the base of the stairs, not having moved seeing as everyone who'd talked to him had approached him.

Ash was saved from explaining himself by Mr. Goodshow talking in a microphone from the front of the room.

"Alright everyone, this is a ball, and the time has come to actually do some dancing. Please take the floor with your partners!"

Ash noticed that the circular tables had been cleared to the margins of the room, leaving an open space for the guests to dance.

"My lady," Ash bowed his head slightly and extended a hand towards Cynthia. "May I have the honor of this dance?"

Cynthia laughed. "You may."

Ash extended his left hand and interlaced his fingers with Cynthia's right. He moved in closer to place his right hand on Cynthia's back, just under her left shoulder blade. She rested her left hand on his right bicep gently, and Ash looked up.

Cynthia's clear, piercing gray eyes captured his gaze, and Ash's heart took off before his feet, thrumming in his chest with unnerving frequency. He had spent the last two days marveling at how beautiful Cynthia was, but being this close to her, touching her, made him feel like he was only appreciating the magnitude of it for the first time. Her skin wasn't just clear, it was smooth; her hair not just silky, but lush; her movements not only precise but also graceful.

He felt like he was falling under a spell, one he knew Cynthia wasn't even casting on purpose. This was the overpowering, intoxicating aura of the person who stood at the top of the Pokémon League, a woman whose legendary feats, power, and beauty fused inextricably into something bordering on the divine.

Ash started dancing, eyes still locked with Cynthia's. Ash was leading their movements, but he wasn't in control; even as he stepped forward and back, side to side, it was he who was being pulled, pushed, swung, and rocked in Cynthia's stormy eyes. He wasn't sure how long they danced. When the lights came up and the music stopped, they pulled apart breathlessly, never having broken their gaze once. Ash felt naked. Cynthia's face was customarily calm, but her cheeks looked flushed.

There was movement on the dance floor as guests cleared and large rectangular tables were set up for dinner. Ash only looked away for a moment, and suddenly Cynthia was moving.

"Cynthia?" He watched as she walked away, heading through two large doors onto the veranda. He jogged after her.

He caught up as she reached the railing, placing her hands on it and looking out toward the forest. Ash approached her uncertainly. Was it something he did?

"Cynthia, are you alright?"

The Champion turned, shooting him a slight smile. "I'm fine. I just realized how much I'm going to miss you, Ash."

Ash felt a pang in his chest at the reminder he was leaving tomorrow. "I'm gonna miss you too, Cynthia. I'm sorry I couldn't help more. I know you're not feeling the best right now."

"You helped a lot." Ash shook his head and Cynthia placed her hand on his to emphasize her point. "You did. Really."

"But it wasn't enough, was it?" Ash asked, finally giving voice to his suspicion.

Cynthia looked away. "Why would you say that?"

Ash looked down. "Because I only did what you told me to: I showed you what I would do with my time if I were you. I ran you through a day where you got to do things that you like to do along with things that you should do as a regional Champion – I made it fun, because that's how I like to do things. But at the end of the day, I'm not you. And I guess I didn't really make an airtight argument for why you should make things fun for yourself at the cost of doing less official stuff with your time."

"But it was truly so much fun. You could argue that it's more sustainable for me."

"To argue that, you'd have to have shown that you can't keep up with the way you're doing things now. But you haven't. Even though you're not totally happy, you're still firing on all cylinders. You can do everything that's asked of you, and more. And I guess that's the problem. Or the reason that I can't even convince you that there is a problem. Your emotions don't rule you. You're too disciplined, too methodical, too..."

"Too perfect?" Cynthia interjected, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the railing of the veranda.

Ash straightened and turned toward her, sensing her vulnerability.

Cynthia held herself by the elbows. "I feel like I've heard that since I was a kid. I'm more talented, or smarter, or cuter than others. I can do what other people can't do, go places they can't imagine. At that age, when someone says you can do something special, you do it because it's special, not because you want to do it. And before long you're somewhere you never really set course for, doing things because people expect that you can do them. But at some point, you start wondering what it is you really want. And at that point, you're too far gone to tell."

"Cynthia, you don't mean –"

"Don't get me wrong, battling has always been my passion. To be at the level I am with my bread and butter, I'm incredibly lucky. But outside of the actual battling, a lot of the things I do nowadays just come with the territory of being Champion. It's not that I don't want to do them or that I hate doing them. It's just that I have no idea why I do them, other than that I'm conditioned at this point to meet people's expectations for me. Because I can. Because I'm..."

"Perfect," Ash finished quietly.

There was silence. It was the most expressive Ash had ever seen Cynthia, and it awed him. Even in her distress, she was articulate and controlled. And he couldn't relate to her problem at all: whatever success he'd experienced as a Trainer had been hard-fought. But at least he knew what was going on in Cynthia's head now. All the guessing, the planning, the wondering whether he was saying or doing the right things – he could finally throw it all out the window and respond as himself now.

"So you think you're perfect?"

Cynthia turned to him, blushing. "I didn't mean it like that, Ash."

Ash held up a hand. "I know. But up until now, nobody has ever given you a reason to believe otherwise, right?"

Cynthia rubbed her arms, not about to be immodest.

Ash shrugged. "This is an easy one. They're wrong. I don't care what anyone says, you're not perfect."

Cynthia stared at him, clearly surprised at his take.

"A perfect person would never bring some nobody Trainer as their date to a VIP ball."

Cynthia tilted her head. "Really, Ash, that's where you're coming from? You're not a nobody Trainer."

Ash grimaced. "Some people here would probably disagree with you. Anyway, I have another one."

Cynthia squinted at him.

"A perfect person wouldn't order vanilla every single time at the ice cream stand. I mean, that's gotta be unhealthy. Branch out."

Cynthia puffed her cheeks out in annoyance.

Ash chuckled. "Ok, for real this time. If you can't help but always meet people's expectations, then I'll help it."

Cynthia grew quiet, staring at him curiously. Ash walked closer to her, as close as he'd been when they were dancing.

This time, though, he was in control.

"A perfect person wouldn't lose a battle to some nobody Trainer."

Cynthia stared at him blankly before registering his meaning. Her brow lifted.

"You're going to beat me?"

Ash nodded, dead serious. "Not today. Not tomorrow. But I will train, I will come for you, and I will beat you. I'll show the world that you're not just what they expect of you."

Cynthia inhaled deeply. "You mean that?"

Ash grinned. "I promise."

Cynthia tilted her head and pressed it into Ash's chest lightly. He put his arms on her shoulders. He had a feeling what he said would do the trick, but he had no idea it would mean this much to her.

"You need it in writing?" he joked.

"You can do better than that, can't you?" Cynthia asked, raising her head to look at him. Only inches away, her gray eyes shone with affection and trust. She licked her lips.

Ash ducked in and pressed his lips to hers softly. His heart beat in his ears. Cynthia pressed back, her lips twisting against his organically. Her hands slid into his hair, tugging on his locks passionately. When he had to pull away for air, she sucked on his bottom lip a beat longer before letting him go.

"Wow," Ash managed.

Cynthia tucked her head under his chin, wrapping her arms around his torso. Ash felt dizzy with emotion, but he hugged back.

"I hope you thought this through," Cynthia said as she detangled herself and stepped away, much more composed than him.

"You mean my promise?" Ash asked, still disoriented.

"No, I mean kissing me," Cynthia replied. She traced her hand along his torso, letting it linger for a moment. "Now, it doesn't matter where you go, or how long it takes you to come back. You're mine."

Cynthia patted his cheek and smirked, heading back inside for dinner. Ash felt a sensual shiver go up his spine.

He'd keep his promise and make sure she was happy one way or another. But the fact of the matter stood.

Cynthia really was perfect.


	12. Misty - Leader

Author's Note

Appreciate all your guys' feedback on the story format! There's a lot of support for wildcard heroines, and I feel the appeal as well. For structure's sake, I'm going to keep the core four heroines, but I'll do shorter chapters and in between each cycle of them I'll include four wildcards instead of two like I just did. Also, I love hearing requests for heroines, but the list is starting to get long so fair warning that you may not see yours for a while - thanks!

Big thank yous to mohidafzal458, goldenfox444, Hashirama 1710, MidnightFenrir, DarklighterUSA, PenningSomeTales, Lost Pants, Pokemon fan, magic135, and ultimateCCC for your reviews!

* * *

"Just because Pikachu has a type advantage doesn't mean you can attack recklessly, Ash."

Ash bristled at Misty's rebuke, frustrated that the Water Pokémon Trainer was lecturing him during their battle.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Starmie, dodge and counter with Rapid Spin!"

The Mysterious Pokémon spun away from Pikachu's attack and crashed into him, sending him hurtling back toward Ash.

"Case in point," Misty said emphatically, returning Starmie to its Poké Ball and approaching Ash. "You become cocky just because you think you have the upper hand, and if your attacks aren't landing, your Pokémon can be worn down faster than you realize."

Ash clenched his jaw, bending down to check on Pikachu. The Mouse Pokémon cooed and scampered onto his shoulder tiredly. Ash jogged over to the campsite and handed Pikachu over to Brock, who agreed to heal him up.

Ash turned around to find Misty standing behind him, hands on her hips.

"Did you hear me, Ash?"

Ash looked away and brushed past Misty. "I heard you."

Before he could leave the campsite, Misty ran ahead of him, blocking his way again. "Then what are you going to do about it?"

This time, Ash looked straight at Misty, shooting her daggers. "I'll figure it out."

"When? The next time Pikachu gets beat down?"

Ash's anger splintered at the idea of Pikachu getting hurt because of his inability to learn.

"What are you suggesting, Misty? That I'd rather let my Pokémon get injured than try to be a better Trainer?"

Misty's expression softened, and she placed a warm hand on Ash's cheek.

"No, I know that's not who you are. I'm just pushing you to try harder – because I know that you'll beat yourself up if you don't and you lose another battle because of it."

Misty's ocean blue eyes and gentle words dismantled the rest of his irritation, and Ash nodded.

"You're right."

Misty retracted her hand from his face, her own face rosy. "Don't hear that from you often."

"Well, you're not usually right," Ash shot back, embarrassed. He began trekking toward the riverbank.

"You mean you're not usually logical," Misty retorted, walking beside him.

Ash snorted. "I just don't like being lectured by you."

"You should. I come from the Cerulean Gym. You don't think I've seen some things that might be helpful to you as a Trainer?"

Ash stopped at the side of the river, kicking rocks in absently. "Maybe."

Misty knelt down, dipping her fingers in the clear water. "You don't like being lectured by a girl?"

Ash made a face. "That's not it."

"Then?"

"I mean, I'm supposed to be the... you know, the..."

"The what?" Misty pressed.

Ash made a sound of frustration. "The leader."

Misty stood and crossed her arms. "The leader?"

Ash threw his arms up. "I just mean, it's my journey. Well, I don't mean it's only mine, but –"

"Save it, Ash. You are the leader. Brock and I both come from Kanto League Gyms, and we willingly left to journey with you. You don't think we could have gone on our own? We saw something special in you."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Brock came because his dad showed up to take care of his family. And you just want me to pay for your bike."

Misty rolled her eyes. "Really?"

Ash grinned wolfishly. "This is when you're supposed to say that's wrong and tell me all the things that you love about me."

Misty gagged. "Yeah, right. Pity parties are nothing but trouble."

"Did someone say trouble?" A voice came from the bushes nearby

"Make that double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

Ash groaned. "Really Misty? You had to summon the three stooges?"

Misty shrugged. "It wasn't on purpose."

Jessie, James, and Meowth jumped out from the bushes.

"You brats, don't interrupt us during the motto!" Meowth yelled.

Misty stuck her tongue out. "You're lucky we ever let you finish that old thing!"

"That old thing!" James exclaimed. "How dare you?"

Jessie hissed. "It's time we grounded these lovebirds. Come on out, Arbok!"

"We're not lovebirds!" Ash protested. He noticed that Misty didn't say anything.

"Bring the smoke, Weezing!" James yelled, throwing a Poké Ball.

Ash turned his cap, realizing they wouldn't be avoiding a fight. "Pidgeotto, I choose you!"

Misty stood beside him. "Starmie, help us out!"

"Hold on, where's Pikachu?" Meowth pointed out.

Jessie looked around. "The big twerp isn't here either, he must have Pikachu. James and Meowth, go find him. I'll take care of these two."

"Weezing, use Smokescreen! Stay here with Jessie." James ran off with Meowth toward the campsite.

Ash cursed. "Pidgeotto, Gust!"

Misty joined in. "Starmie, Rapid Spin!"

"Keep using Smokescreen, Weezing," Jessie commanded from across the fray. "Arbok, use Wrap on Starmie."

"Starmie!" Before Misty could react, Arbok was wrapped around her Pokémon, hissing victoriously.

Ash gritted his teeth as Weezing's Smokescreen began to push back on Pidgeotto's Gust. He could see James and Meowth in the distance, closing in on the campsite. He had to make sure Brock and Pikachu weren't ambushed.

"Pidgeotto, stop Gust! Take Misty to the campsite!"

Misty turned toward him, incredulous. "What do you mean, Ash? Starmie is –"

"I'll take care of Starmie. I need you to warn Brock about James and Meowth. I don't think James has any other Pokémon, but I don't want to risk them getting the jump on Brock while he's healing Pikachu."

"But Ash –"

"Trust me." Ash squeezed Misty's shoulders, trying to relay his resolve.

Misty nodded. "Starmie, hang tight, Ash'll take care of you. Pidgeotto, let's go!"

Pidgeotto swooped low enough for Misty to jump atop it, then sped off toward the campsite. Ash watched them go grimly as smoke overtook his vision. He shook the negative thoughts out of his head. He trusted Misty. Time to hold up his end of the bargain.

"Hang on, Starmie! Bulbasaur, help our friend out!"

There was a flash of light, and Ash assumed Bulbasaur was out, though he couldn't see his Pokémon. His mind raced to come up with a strategy.

"Good luck getting out of this one, twerp," Jessie's voice came from across the smoke.

Ash ignored her. "Alright, Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip about two feet off the ground to find where Starmie and Arbok are!"

As he gave the command, Ash hopped down into push up position. The thing about Wrap was, it meant Arbok was enveloping its prey – that was hurting Starmie for now, but with Bulbasaur's vine whip lashing out indiscriminately, Wrap would actually protect Starmie while allowing Bulbasaur to probe for its position.

There was a whoosh of air overhead as Vine Whip swung around, then a resounding smack and a cry from Arbok. Bulbasaur yelled its name proudly.

Ash jumped back up, pumping his fist. "That's the way, Bulbasaur, now pry Arbok off Starmie!"

Jessie screeched in frustration. "Ugh, just get out of there, Arbok. Koffing, stop the Smokescreen, I can't see anything either."

"Bulbasaur, speed that up with Razor Leaf."

The smoke quickly cleared, and Ash rushed over to Starmie. "You alright, buddy?"

Starmie's gem flashed, but it looked ok overall.

"Ash!" Misty's yell caught his attention, and he saw the Water Pokémon Trainer approaching him, Brock and Pikachu in tow. Pidgeotto was flying above them, rebuffing the tangled mess of James and Meowth back towards Jessie.

Jessie caught her teammates angrily. "You nitwits can't do anything right, can you?"

"Is Starmie ok?" Misty called toward Ash.

Ash shot her a thumbs-up. "How's Pikachu?"

Pikachu leapt off Brock's shoulder in response to Ash's question, poised to fights with sparks already at his cheeks.

James blanched. "I don't think I like what's coming next."

"Only the usual," Ash said casually. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Piiii-kaaa-chuuuuu!" The ground at Team Rocket's feet exploded, and the unfortunate trio was soon a twinkle in the sky.

"Starmie!" Misty ran over and hugged her Pokémon warmly. "I was so worried."

Pikachu scampered into Ash's arms and licked his face happily. Ash laughed. "I'm so glad you're alright, Pikachu. Nice Thunderbolt, by the way."

Brock strolled over to them. "Glad that got taken care of without things getting out of hand. If Misty hadn't warned me, James and Meowth might've swiped Pikachu from right under my nose."

Misty returned Starmie to its Poké Ball and stood to full height, smiling. "Thank our fearless leader here."

Misty winked at Ash and he made a face at her, hoping she wouldn't embarrass him further. Brock nodded at Ash.

"Good work, Ash. Want me to look at Pidgeotto?"

"Thanks, Brock, I don't think he took any hits but it couldn't hurt."

"Could you heal Starmie up, too?" Misty requested.

Brock took Starmie and Pidgeotto back to the campsite, and Pikachu followed them to help out. Ash thanked Bulbasaur for his help and returned him to his Poké Ball. Misty stood beside him at the riverbank, staring at him.

"What?" Ash asked, beginning to feel self-conscious.

"Happy that you got to be the leader?"

Ash rolled his eyes. "You're not going to let that go, are you?"

Misty giggled. "I'm just teasing. You did a good job, Ash. You almost always do."

Ash shrugged. "I couldn't have done it without your help."

"Of course not."

They both laughed, and Ash looked into the river thoughtfully.

"The weird thing is, it didn't bother me at all that I had to ask for your help."

"Why is that weird? That's a good thing, it means that all you cared about was getting the job done right."

"I agree with you. But getting lectured by you is basically the same thing, and it always bothers me."

Misty laughed. "Ash, I think you're overthinking this."

"That's one I don't hear _you_ saying often," Ash grumbled.

"Maybe it's just that you have too much pride to take advice from someone your own age."

Ash frowned. "I know better than that."

"Then maybe you have a problem taking advice from me, specifically."

Ash shifted uncomfortably. "I don't have any problem with you."

"Maybe 'cuz you want to show off?" Misty's eyes sparkled, teasing him.

Ash backed up slightly. "Don't be ridiculous."

Misty stepped closer to him, her gait slow and sultry. She played with her suspenders casually, biting her lip. Her orange hair struck a bold image against the sunset, and Ash swallowed.

"Maybe you want to impress me?"

Misty put one long, bare leg out in front, so only her toes touched the ground. The tight muscles of her calves and thighs made stunning, understated landmarks across her creamy white skin. She knocked her suspenders off her shoulders, running her hands across her stomach seductively.

Ash wasn't sure he was breathing anymore. He stared, unable to tear his eyes away.

With lidded, fluttering eyes, Misty reached a hand out and placed it on Ash's chest. His heartrate doubled in anticipation as she leaned close.

"Or maybe," she whispered, "you're a sucker."

Misty's fingers, outstretched on Ash's pecs, gave the slightest push. Bewildered, Ash fell backward, landing on his backside on the riverbank.

Misty burst out in laughter, clutching her sides and doubling over. Ash watched her, his grimace of anger slowly morphing into a smile. Even when she was laughing uncontrollably, her features looked elegant and her giggle sounded melodic.

"Misty."

The redhead's laughter slowly quieted, and she looked at him, wiping the sides of her eyes.

"Yeah?"

"I think I figured out why your lectures irritate me so much."

Misty walked closer, her crossed arms contrasting with a face still full of mirth. "Pray tell."

"It's because it feels like this," Ash said, pointing to himself on the ground and Misty standing above him. "And it doesn't feel good."

Misty's face grew serious, and she uncrossed her arms, wiping her hands on her shorts. "Well, we can't have that. I'm never going to stop teasing you, but I don't ever want to talk down to you."

Misty stretched a hand out to help Ash up. Ash ignored it, looking into Misty's big, sincere eyes.

"But that's the thing. You don't talk down to me. I just get scared that you are. Scared that there's a distance between us that I don't want there to be."

Misty stood frozen above him, her hand still outstretched, transfixed by the honesty in his words. Ash knew it was now or never.

In one fluid movement, Ash grasped her right hand with his and jerked her down. Surprised, Misty yelped and tumbled forward; Ash curled his left hand under her right thigh and safely pulled her into his lap. He grunted as her shoulder and head impacted his chest, but he recovered quickly and turned her face to meet his, only inches away. She looked at him breathlessly, expectant.

Ash wrapped his arms around Misty's waist and kissed her, fireworks going off in his head. She kissed back, slinging her arms around his neck to pull him closer. The kiss was long and wet, filled with passion they'd both repressed for far too long.

Misty pulled away first, struggling for air, her chest heaving to restore oxygen to her body. Her cheeks were flushed with color, and her viridian irises looked small against fiercely dilated pupils. Her crop top had hiked up her torso, hassled by Ash's hands on her stomach.

Ash leaned back on his arms, looking over his handiwork appreciatively. Misty raised a warning eyebrow at his cockiness, her breathing still rapid. He winked at her, and she looked away quickly, her cheeks nearing the color of her hair.

"Well?" Ash asked. "What do you think?"

Misty's breathing finally evened out, and she readjusted herself on his lap, throwing her legs around his waist so their torsos laid flush. She reared her head back, her smile bewitching, her eyes beckoning.

"I think you make a good leader."


	13. May - Hero

Author's Note

Many thanks to GumballDia, Dentro del Infinito, 0 Jordinio 0, Poke shipper, ultimateCCC, magic135, Cray82z, and FanficFan920 for reviewing!

* * *

"Wasn't that the most amazing Chatot you've ever seen?" Max gushed to his sister. "I mean, it's crazy enough they can mimic human speech in general, but I never thought that could be used in stand-up comedy!"

May nodded along. "Audrey must have done a lot of work to get Chatot to that position. They're going to blow the Comedy Grand Prix wide open."

Ash listened with one ear, trailing May and Max by a few paces. He walked in stride with Brock, elbowing the Breeder to get his attention discreetly.

"Ow. What's up, Ash?"

Ash crept closer to Brock, lowering his voice and keeping his eyes on the siblings ahead.

"Have you noticed anything weird about May the past couple days?"

Brock put a finger to his chin, thinking deeply. "I mean, broadly speaking, I would have to say no."

Ash pulled away, frowning. "I feel like she's been acting a bit differently around me."

Brock nodded. "Oh yeah, she's definitely upset with you."

Ash swiveled his head to look at Brock in disbelief. "What? You just said –"

"I said there was nothing different about her in general. But she definitely has some problem with you. What'd you do, Ash?"

Ash threw his hands up helplessly. "Why does it have to be my fault?"

Brock shrugged. "I mean, you're not treating her differently, but she's treating you differently. With girls, that usually means you did something that rubbed them the wrong way. Any ideas?"

Ash scratched his head. "Not that I can think of."

"Pika, pikachu pi pika," Pikachu chimed in from Ash's shoulder.

"Well, that doesn't make much sense, buddy," Ash rebuffed.

"Translation?" Brock asked.

"He says May's been acting this way since the night we were up talking a few days ago."

Brock nodded. "That matches up chronologically. What were you guys talking about anyway? I just remember waking up to you two walking into the campsite looking tired."

Ash pursed his lips, not wanting to reveal too much. He'd offered May a shoulder to cry on after she'd had to let Manaphy go, but he didn't want to make a big deal about it. "Just some stuff about her Pokémon. But it doesn't add up. Hand to Ho-Oh, it went really well. Like I felt like we connected even better than usual. So why would she be mad about it?"

Brock sighed wisely. "A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets, Ash."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "You definitely stole that from somewhere."

"What're you guys talking about?" Max turned around, walking backwards as he checked on the older males.

Ash waved his hands in front of his face. "Oh nothing, just talking about what's for dinner, that's all."

Max nodded and turned back around. May turned her head, and Ash met her eyes briefly. She looked away, maintaining a stoic expression all the while. Ash sighed.

"Whatever it is, figure it out, man," Brock advised in a low voice. "May's a sweet girl, but I wouldn't take my chances being on any woman's bad side too long."

Brock sped up to close the distance to May and Max. Ash put his head down and did the same, wondering what grudge May could possibly be holding against him.

The sun was just setting behind the trees when the group decided to set up camp for the night. Brock and May took care of dinner while Ash and Max set up the tents, and the sky was a deep orange by the time Brock announced dinner was ready.

"On the menu is potato, carrot, and leek soup along with some bread," Brock declared. "Help yourselves."

"Looks yummy, Brock, thanks!" Max exclaimed, jumping into his seat at the bench and digging into his meal.

"Couldn't have done it without May's help," Brock replied modestly.

May beamed. "Oh stop it, Brock, but thank you."

Ash situated Pikachu with his food and strolled over to the bench, rubbing his hands together hungrily. He took his customary seat across from May and smiled at her; she averted her eyes. Ash shrugged tiredly, reaching for his bowl to eat. He blinked.

"Um, do I not get dinner?" There was no bowl at Ash's place.

Brock looked at him. "What? Of course you do. May, did you forget to –"

May's normally soft sapphire eyes flashed an icier shade as she looked at Brock. He smiled nervously before addressing Ash.

"Uh, Ash, I think there're more bowls in my pack. Why don't you serve yourself? The pot's over on the fire." Ash exhaled, realizing this was part of May's vendetta.

"Traitor," he muttered under his breath to Brock as he rose to get his own food. The Breeder ignored him, afraid to incur May's wrath.

Ash spooned soup from the pot into the bowl he'd procured, thinking deeply all the while. May hadn't done this last night when they ate. Did that mean she was getting angrier each day? Or maybe she was trying to make it clear she was upset to get him to address it?

Ash took his seat at the bench, lost in thought. The four of them were quiet: Ash could tell Max and Brock had caught onto the divide between May and him and didn't want to interfere. Ash tried to distract himself with his food, but his mind kept wandering to the brunette across the table. He wasn't convinced he'd done anything wrong, but he nevertheless wanted to make things right between them.

"Anyone want seconds?" May asked sweetly, rising to get herself some.

"I'm full," Max said earnestly, leaning back on his hands.

"Me, too, but thanks," Brock followed.

Ash's spoon was just hitting the bottom of his bowl, and he decided to take one last crack at normalcy. "I could actually go for seconds."

He reached his bowl out to May, flashing her his most disarming smile. The Coordinator stared at him for a moment, then turned and walked away without taking Ash's bowl.

"Ooooh," Max said in a low voice, wincing. Brock nodded at Max, making a "yikes" expression. Ash rolled his eyes, getting up to follow May. He caught up with her as she reached the soup pot.

"Alright, May, that's it," Ash said emphatically. The Coordinator raised an eyebrow but continued stirring the soup. "Why are you angry at me?"

"I'm not mad at you, Ash," May responded calmly. She ladled out some soup to put in her bowl.

"Then why are you treating me so coldly?" Ash rebutted. He was tired of beating around the bush. "Tell me, May!"

Since May wasn't even looking at him, Ash innocuously pushed his bowl against hers, trying to get her to serve him instead of herself – that would get her attention. But he hadn't anticipated how much the move would surprise her.

"Ash!" May shrieked as she mishandled the ladle, causing the almost boiling liquid to splash onto his wrist.

"Gah!" Ash dropped his bowl, crouching and grabbing at his wrist to try to dull the burning sensation.

"Ash! Ash! No, no, no. I'm so sorry!" May dropped her own bowl and rushed to him, reaching in and grabbing his wrist tenderly. Ash watched, surprised, as she lifted his arm to her mouth and blew cold air on it, her mouth an inch from his skin. The pain receded to the back of Ash's mind as he watched her mother him, her delicate features beset with worry and her blue eyes brimming with tears.

"Coming through, give way," Brock commanded, rushing over upon realizing what had happened. Ash watched May hang her head as Max pulled her away gently, giving Brock room to work.

"It's nothing, Brock, don't worry about it," Ash insisted, wanting to show May it wasn't bad.

"It's not nothing, it's a burn," Brock said stiffly, and Ash quieted, knowing he should listen. "Now, all I have is a Burn Heal, which is meant for Pokémon so it won't work well here. But some cool water and some gauze should hopefully make up the difference."

Brock got to work, quickly making good on his words. Within a few minutes, Ash's wrist was wrapped in white cloth and he could barely tell that anything had happened.

"Thanks, Brock," Ash said, turning his wrist over to examine the Breeder's work. "Dependable as always."

Brock nodded. "Just take it easy on this hand for a few days. It looks like May reacted pretty quickly, so it's not a bad burn at all, definitely nothing permanent."

"It was my fault," Ash said grimly, looking past Brock to the Coordinator, who was sitting on the bench, head dipped.

"I didn't see," Brock replied, "but May's too nice to not feel somewhat responsible. Tell her you're sorry, but there's a silver lining here, Ash."

Ash met Brock's eyes, curious. The Breeder raised his eyebrows. "Perfect time to smooth over whatever had her acting weird with you."

"Ah right, good point."

"I'll take Max inside and leave you two to it, then."

Ash gave Brock a fist bump with his uninjured hand. "Appreciate it, man."

The Breeder shepherded Max to bed, and Ash slowly approached May, who barely looked up as he sat next to her.

"I'm so sorry, Ash, I didn't mean to hurt you."

Ash felt himself melt at the remorse in the Coordinator's voice. "May, it wasn't your fault at all. I did something reckless, and I got hurt. It's totally on me. I'm just glad you didn't get burned. I don't know what I would've done if you got hurt because of me."

May looked up at him, smiling softly. "You'd never hurt me, Ash."

Ash felt heat rise to his cheeks at the sincerity in May's words. He refocused himself, seeing an opportunity to segue.

"But I did, didn't I? That's why you've been angry with me the past few days?"

May bit her lip, and Ash could tell she wasn't sure if she should open up about it.

"Was it something I said when we talked about Manaphy? If I wasn't sensitive enough to what you were going through, I'm sorry, May."

"No!" May responded immediately. "That's not it at all. You were so helpful that night. Without your advice, I don't know how I would have dealt with that."

Ash breathed a sigh of relief. "Then why have you been mad at me since then?"

"I haven't been mad at you! Just... upset. Because when I stopped feeling so sad about leaving Manaphy, I started thinking about everything else that happened at Samiya."

Ash blinked, thinking back to the sea temple. "But that was a happy ending otherwise. We stopped Phantom from looting the temple. We made sure the Sea Crown was intact and stopped Samiya from sinking."

May shook her head. "No. _You_ stopped Samiya from sinking."

Ash paused upon hearing her emphasis, confused. Was she praising him for what he did, or taking issue with it?

The Coordinator cupped his bandaged wrist in her hands, muttering to herself. "You're always so reckless."

It finally clicked for Ash. He squeezed her shoulder with his uninjured hand.

"Oh, gee, May, is this about me putting you in that pod and going to restore the last crystal?"

"Not just me," May shot back accusatorily. "Me, Manaphy, and Pikachu. You went completely on your own!"

Ash tilted his head, bemused. "That's what you've been upset about? I thought I was doing the right thing. None of us knew if there was enough time to even return the last crystal! What was I supposed to do? Let one of you come with me and risk you drowning?"

May stood up from the bench to confront Ash. "Yes!"

Ash stood up as well, angry now. "How does that make any sense? At least that way, you guys were guaranteed safety no matter what happened!"

"And what about you?" May came back at him. "What if you'd drowned? You almost did, didn't you? I was so scared, Ash, so, so scared you were going to die."

The sun had completely set, making it hard to see May's eyes. But Ash could hear her reaching tears through her voice alone, and it shook him. He decided against revealing that he had indeed almost drowned. He needed to find a clever way to defuse this situation before May got hysterical.

"We all wouldn't have fit," he insisted. "That pod wasn't big enough."

Ash thought he was being smart. He really did. But the tightness in May's voice told him he'd made a gross miscalculation.

"Oh, really, Ash?" Ash could feel himself sweating. "Skitty, Pikachu, come here please."

The two small Pokémon scampered over at May's call. She knelt down to talk to them, rubbing their heads affectionately.

"Pikachu, remember the pod Ash put us in at the sea temple? I want you to help me give Skitty an idea of its size and shape. Skitty, I want you to use Dig to make something of a similar size in the ground here."

Ash watched openmouthed as Pikachu agreed and the three started working together. "Are you serious right now, May? This is so unnecessary! Pikachu, really?"

May turned toward him and made a zipping motion across her mouth. Pikachu gave him a look that said he agreed with May. Ash exhaled with resignation, waiting for Skitty to finish its digging.

"Alright, thank you, you two. Let me deal with him from here," May said, scratching both Pokémon behind their ears. They ran off towards the tents, and May stood up, dusting herself off.

Ash had to admit the hole in the ground was done pretty well, sized to the dimensions of the pod as far as he could remember. The surface of the ground was level with the "entrance" to the pod, so the only thing missing was its hatch.

May cleared her throat. "I know we don't have the door, but we can approximate where it was based on the curvature Skitty dug out. Not much would've fit there anyway. Also, I'm not including Pikachu since Manaphy isn't here anyway, but I don't think it matters since they would've fit near our heads in any case. Or do you disagree?"

"No, I don't..." Ash threw up his hands. "But why is this necessary, May?"

"To prove you're a hero," May said flatly. Ash reddened with embarrassment, even while he was mentally pulling his hair out. Was May happy about what he did or mad about it?

"Do it," May ordered, pointing to the pod-like hole. "The exact same way you did it that day, except this time you get in, too."

Ash knew at this point he wasn't getting out of it. He'd do this May's way, and hopefully he could talk her down as he went. Ash stepped closer to her, feeling his pulse quicken. He had no idea why – he didn't remember feeling this nervous in the original moment. Even with only moonlight illuminating their campsite now, at this distance he could see the determination in May's eyes clearly. She was dead set on proving her point.

Ash raised an open palm in front of May, and she grasped it with her left hand. He yanked her toward the "pod," and the Coordinator half-stumbled into the hole, turning to face him and waiting. Ash gripped her by the shoulders and knelt her down, watching as her knees hit the ground.

"I'm getting dirt on you," Ash grumbled, looking for any reason to divert May away from her experiment. He was sure the girl, ever conscious of her appearance, would under normal circumstances be loathe to continue. Now, though, she didn't seem to care.

"Keep going," she insisted.

Ash sighed, kneeling to get the proper angle. He pushed May's shoulders down so she was flat in the hole, and the Coordinator folded her arms vertically so her balled fists nestled under her chin. She extended her legs out so she laid as flat as possible. Ash stared from his position beside the pod, not sure how to proceed.

"Get in, Ash."

Ash removed his hat and climbed in gingerly, placing his feet on the outside of May's legs and lowering himself in with his hands. He did his best not to look at May as he positioned his knees on either side of her hips.

"Here," May offered, putting her hands straight up in the air and using her head to motion toward the space they'd been occupying.

Ash swallowed and planted his forearms on either side of May's chest, ample distance away that they weren't touching her. He lowered his torso until it was a half foot above May's, essentially suspending himself in a plank position. May let her hands rest on his shoulders. He strained to turn his head, noting that his body stuck out from the pod slightly.

"See, May," Ash forced out. "I wouldn't have fit."

"Yeah?" May challenged. "I don't think you're trying."

With a sudden flare of her elbows, May displaced Ash's forearms, causing him to fall completely onto her. Ash inhaled in surprise, barely moving his head in time to avoid knocking into hers. What he couldn't avoid was his torso colliding squarely with May's, and he was surprised when the impact was cushioned harmlessly.

Ash did a double take. Cushioned?

Blood rushed to his face as he realized what the squishy sensation against his pecs was. May's sudden inhalation told him she may not have thought through exactly how this would go. But she didn't push him away; instead, she cleared her throat and spoke calmly.

"See? You fit."

Ash turned his head to corroborate this, and he could see that – laying flat on top of May – he did indeed fit completely inside the dimensions of the pod. Ash smiled despite the situation. He couldn't believe the lengths she'd gone to, but May's stubbornness had proved her point.

"What're you smiling about?"

Ash almost yelped as he was pulled out of his thought. His face was so close to May's that he could feel the sides of their noses touching. Her blue eyes looked like deep pools from this close, and he swore if he moved his lips too fast they might accidentally touch hers. Ash wondered if she could feel his heart beating against her chest.

"Nothing," he said quietly. "You're right, I could have fit. And I knew it then, too. I'm sorry for lying."

May surprised him by wrapping her arms around him in a hug. Ash did his best to think about anything other than how good her body felt against his.

"I didn't do this to prove that you lied. I did it to make it perfectly clear that you could have gotten into the pod with us and guaranteed your own safety, but you didn't. Even though you had the option, you risked your life to save Samiya and the bond between Water Pokémon and the People of the Water."

Ash hadn't done what he did for anyone's praise, but hearing May talk about him like that made him swell with pride.

"Thank you, May, but if you're proud of me why were you upset before?"

May sighed. "I'm both. I'm proud of you for what you did – it's part of why I admire you. But I'm upset that you were so ready to risk your life. You have so much left to do. There are so many people and Pokémon who care about you and need you, Ash. What would they do without you?"

May squirmed to move her hands, putting them on Ash's cheeks.

"What would _I_ do without you?"

Ash's body was hot with some combination of emotion, physical stimulation, and actual warmth from the close quarters, and the three were beginning to become indistinguishable. He pulled himself together and grabbed May by her upper arms, heaving both of them into a sitting position, her back against the side of the pod and his knees on the ground. Her eyes stayed locked on his, searching for an answer.

Ash immediately found himself missing the contact, but with a little space his mind was starting to cool down; he felt like he could actually think. He placed his hands on his legs thoughtfully.

"What would you have had me do, May?"

May frowned. "Um, I mean, I'm not sure –"

"Should I have left the crystal and let Samiya be lost?"

"No... That's not who you are."

"Should I've taken you with me?"

May looked at him. "Whatever happened, at least that way we would live or die together."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "So you wish I'd done that? Put you in harm's way for the satisfaction of having you by my side if I died?"

"Yes!" Ash gave her a pointed look, and May cast her eyes down. "I guess that's not who you are, either."

Ash raised his brow. May saw his look and gestured in frustration. "I get it, ok? You did what you thought was right. And you know I like who you are. But still! I mean, it's just..."

Ash adjusted his weight, sighing. "I did almost drown, you know."

May stared at him in shock.

"But I didn't," Ash finished. "I survived because someone prayed for me, because someone was thinking of me as I struggled."

"It reached you," May said slowly. Ash gave her hands a gentle squeeze.

"Yes, and I believe it's what kept me alive. So thank you. Having you in my corner during tough times is part of what gives me the confidence to get through them. And I need you to keep being there, 'cuz I'm gonna keep being reckless, and you could be the difference between me surviving myself or not." Ash gestured to his bandaged wrist half-jokingly.

May gave a small smile, nodding at him. "I will, Ash."

Ash took a deep breath, glad they were on the same page now. May looked him over curiously. "When'd you get so good at this?"

Ash furrowed his brow. "At what?"

"At... talking me down. You turned me being upset with you for being reckless into me feeling good about being there for you."

Ash winked at her. "Well, I was recently promoted to King of the Sea, guess it came with some new tricks."

They both laughed. May played with her hair, looking slightly apologetic. "Sorry for being upset with you, Ash. After talking about it, I feel pretty silly for doing all that for no reason."

"It wasn't for no reason," Ash came back immediately. "I mean, you went through all this because you were upset that I was reckless. So at the very least I know that you... well, that you..."

May bobbed her head for him to finish.

"That you care about me," Ash completed.

May's cheeks were rosy, but she spoke confidently. "Yeah, I do."

"I do, too," Ash said. "Care about you, I mean, not me."

May giggled. "Yeah, I know, Ash. I sort of got that from the whole saving-my-life thing."

Ash chuckled, blushing a bit himself.

"Did I ever even thank you for that, by the way?" May asked, spinning her brown locks around her finger.

"Oh, that's not necessary, May." Ash waved it off.

"You sure? I was sort of looking forward to it." May's tongue dipped out of her mouth ever so slightly, wetting her pink lips.

"Then by all means, go ahead," Ash amended quickly.

May giggled again, the melodious sound beginning to feel like an aphrodisiac to Ash. Was she doing it on purpose? Ash wasn't sure he cared. His blood started pounding again as May sat on her knees and advanced toward him with small shuffles, making what should have looked lame instead seem sensual. For the second time that day, their bodies pressed together; her curves felt familiar now, but they still sent flashes of heat through his frame where they contacted him. Ash had to repress his sigh of happiness as May leaned into his left cheek, whispering sultrily.

"This is for saving Samiya."

May's soft lips pressed into his cheek fleetingly. She angled her head around to his other side.

"And this is for saving me." Her kiss lingered on his cheek this time, brushing his skin intimately toward the end.

May moved her head back so she was directly in front of him. The night was quiet as she looked his face over thoughtfully, her eyes settling on his lips.

She leaned in and gave him a light peck, squeezing his lips with hers so quickly and innocently that Ash might have missed it, if not for the accompanying electricity.

May leaned back on her haunches, her face florid. She stood quietly, dusted herself off, and stepped out of the pit. Ash watched her in a stupor, barely pulling himself together in time to ask the obvious question.

"And... what was that one for?"

May fingered her sea shell bracelet, facing away from him. "I just figured... If Manaphy is the Prince of the Sea, and I'm his mother, that makes me the Queen of the Sea."

May flipped her light brown tresses over her shoulder and turned her mischievous eyes onto Ash.

"And the queen doesn't really need a reason to kiss the king, does she?"


	14. Dawn - Warm (1 of 2)

Author's Note

Heads up that this is another two-parter! The second part should come your way by Monday!

I don't usually have the space to respond to all guest reviews, but reviewer Guest had a particularly good question I want to address, which is whether these stories are interconnected or standalone. I like to write them as one- or two-shots that can stand by themselves, but occasionally they might exist in each other's worlds. For example, I wrote May - Bonds and May - Hero thinking of them as interconnected, but I hope I also left each one open enough that it could exist on its own if a reader came in and only read one or the other. So the short answer is that most stand by themselves, some are interconnected, but no chapter should require you to read another chapter to understand it (other than the two-parters), out of consideration that I call this a collection of one-shots. Happy to answer more questions about this if they arise!

I want to take a second to thank everyone for your feedback after the last chapter! It was a great round of reviews that, as always, helps this story and me along. My gratitude to Guest, Advance shipper (x2), Shane, Guest (2), Rorand, Jtyler12, Ale15, nick, Brightwizard21, StallionWolf, ultimateCCC, FanficFan920, magic135, Not Klasky Csupo, and 0 Jordinio 0 for your words!

* * *

"You're going to have to thank your mom for getting us these jackets, Dawn," Brock said to the Coordinator. "It would have been impossible to travel up here without them."

"I second that," Ash agreed, zipping up his jacket as the trio exited the Pokémon Center and met the brisk northern Sinnoh air.

Dawn nodded from beside them. "I definitely will. And she did a great job picking out the colors, too, you two look nice in that blue."

"Thanks, Dawn," Brock replied, looking at her. "Yours is nice, too."

Dawn beamed, doing a quick twirl as she walked and looking expectantly at Ash.

"Uh, yeah, the red is really working for you," Ash managed.

"Thanks, Ash!"

As Dawn looked forward, Ash looked her over once more, discreetly. He wasn't lying: the dark red jacket was double-breasted with large pink buttons that matched her snow boots, and it contrasted boldly with the pure white scarf around her neck, which in turn matched her knee-high white socks. What really baffled Ash, though, was the sizable stretch of exposed thigh between the bottom of Dawn's jacket and the top of her socks. Wouldn't she feel cold? Not that he was about to complain.

They were about to reach the edge of Shelter Town, and Ash decided it was a good opportunity to redirect his mind.

"So, Brock, did you figure out the route to Snowpoint City from here? I saw you talking to Nurse Joy for a while."

"I doubt he did that just for directions," Dawn said dryly.

Brock chuckled shortly. "Croagunk kept me on track. Anyway, she did give me a lot of useful info. After about a mile on this road, we should hit the western edge of Route 216. There should be a lodge there where we can take a lunch break before heading north onto Route 217; then it's a two mile straight shot right to Snowpoint City, but that will be a tougher leg."

"How bad?" Ash asked the Breeder curiously.

"According to Nurse Joy, snow from Mt. Coronet tends to fall in that area pretty consistently – and that's during good stretches. During bad stretches, you're basically dealing with a blizzard that makes seeing the path impossible and hailstones the size of your fist."

Dawn shuddered, playing with her scarf nervously. "Are we sure we're going during a good stretch?"

Brock nodded emphatically. "I was assured that if we leave the lodge on Route 216 by noon, we should make it through to Snowpoint City without a problem. There's a bad spell expected in the evening, but even with some snow starting earlier the three of us should be able to do the two miles well before that."

Ash put a hand to his belt. "Worst case scenario, I have Chimchar on hand, he can help us out in a pinch."

"I hope a Fire type Pokémon joins my team at some point," Dawn mused offhand. "I feel like it would complement my other Pokémon really well."

"You definitely will!" Ash said excitedly, pumping his fist. "Fire types are the best! Their moves look so cool and pack a great punch!"

"Pika, pi, pikachu!"

"Pip, piplup!"

Ash jumped as Pikachu zapped his hair gently and Piplup shot bubbles at him. He put his hands up defensively.

"You know what I mean, guys! Electric types are the best, too! And Water types! And, ooh, Grass types –"

Dawn giggled from next to him. "I bet you just think all Pokémon are the best, don't you, Ash?"

Ash flushed lightly. Dawn giggled again, leaning forward and looking at him encouragingly. "So, have you had any Fire types before Chimchar?"

Ash told Dawn about Charizard, Quilava, and Torkoal, with Brock chiming in occasionally. Talking to one another, the one mile on the lightly snowy path passed underfoot quickly, and the trio soon hit the edge of Route 216.

"It's like night and day," Ash noted. A few paces ahead, the thickness of snow on the ground sharply increased to mid-shin level. The falling snow, like a fine powder where they stood, turned into heavy flakes just ahead. He could already feel the greater wind chill on his cheeks.

"And this is supposed to be a good stretch," Dawn quipped.

"At least we found our stopover point," Brock said, pointing ahead of them. "Snowbound Lodge."

The green cottage stood out starkly against the surrounding snow, its yellow roof barely discernible under a sheet of pure white. Three small windows interrupted the walls, one facing the eastern stretch of Route 216, one facing Shelter Town, and one facing north to Route 217. They trudged through a small patch of Route 216 in line, Dawn volunteering to lead the way by virtue of her snow boots. Ash kept his head bent and stepped in the depressions left by the Coordinator, hearing the snow crunch behind him as Brock did the same.

A wave of heat washed over them as Dawn pushed open the door to the lodge, and Ash and Brock filed in quickly, the Breeder making sure to shut the door behind them. They shook the snow off their shoes, leaving them by the door.

Ash hung his and Brock's coats up grimly. "Two miles of that isn't gonna be a cakewalk. Are you sure that this is a good time to be crossing, Brock?"

Ash moved to take Dawn's coat as well, only to find the Coordinator still tightly buttoned up, holding her elbows and walking across to the fireplace. She knelt down and put her hands out, clearly still cold. The white flakes in her hair quickly melted, and the firelight on her wet tresses made them seem even glossier than usual.

"Hmm," Brock said, walking over to an LED monitor on the wall. "According to this, the blizzard I was told about is coming in early, around 4 o'clock apparently."

Dawn walked over, coat still on but clearly feeling warmer. She glanced at her Pokétch. "It's 11 now, think we can make it?"

"I want to have my Gym battle today, but if you think it's too risky for us to go, I get it."

Ash's statement drew surprised faces from Dawn, Brock, and even Pikachu, but he held Brock's gaze firmly. Ash knew from experience not to tempt the elements, and seeing Dawn struggle to warm up only worried him further. He'd leave the call to Brock.

Brock nodded at him. "Good attitude, Ash. The way I see it, it'll take us a maximum of two and a half hours to get through Route 217 during these conditions. I want to leave an hour buffer on top of that for anything unforeseen, especially a chance that the blizzard comes in early."

Ash didn't realize how serious he must've looked until Dawn poked him in the side. He laughed involuntarily, and Brock chuckled.

"Yeah, we don't have to make a call yet," the Breeder reassured. "I'll whip up a quick lunch, we can be set to go in 45 minutes and evaluate then."

Brock strode into the lodge's kitchen to begin preparations while Ash and Dawn wandered around the cabin, checking out the wall decorations and monitors.

"Hey, Ash, look at this," Dawn called suddenly, her and Piplup's faces pressed up against the glass of the window overlooking Route 217.

Ash did the same, wondering what they were looking at. The first thing he noticed was the intensity of the snowfall. Unless his eyes were deceiving him, it was already considerably denser. Harsh winds whipped the trees, displacing accumulated snow almost as fast as it collected.

"Yeah, it's gotten a lot worse," Ash noted.

"No, over there," Dawn said, pointing toward a clearing between two patches of trees. Ash squinted. At the far end of the trees, stuck to a tree trunk, was a bright cyan leaf that stood boldly against the otherwise white landscape. But its perfect taper and abnormal luster told Ash it wasn't any ordinary leaf.

"An item," Ash realized. He pulled out his Pokédex and activated its ItemDex function, zooming in on the item. Dawn and Piplup peered over his shoulder at the screen as it pulled up a corresponding digital image.

"The Mental Herb," Dexter dictated. "An item to be held by a Pokémon. It snaps the holder out of infatuation. It can be used only once."

"That's pretty cool," Ash said, returning his Pokédex to his pocket.

"Shame we can't get it," Dawn said, taking one last look at the item stuck to the snowy tree, about to be drowned in snow. "It's really pretty."

Ash hummed in agreement, and the two of the them walked into the middle of the cabin, wondering what to do next.

"Should we let our Pokémon out for a stretch?" Ash suggested.

"Good idea," Dawn agreed. "Guys, spotlight!"

Buneary, Pachirisu, and Mamoswine burst out, eager to see Dawn. After greeting her, Buneary immediately began chasing Pikachu.

"Good luck with that, buddy." Ash chuckled and let his own Pokémon out, greeting them cheerfully. His eyes lingered on Staraptor for a second, and he wondered idly whether he could send the Pokémon to get the Mental Herb for Dawn. He immediately shot the idea down: it was way too cold and snowy to put Staraptor in any risk, especially over something nonessential.

Ash took a cursory glance at the window to confirm his conclusion, and was surprised to see the weather outside had escalated even further in the few minutes since he'd last looked. Snow pelted down in such density such that he could barely see out of half the window. His Gym battle was probably going to have to wait.

Before he could process the thought, a small blue streak moved outside the window, surprising him. What could possibly be out there in this weather? He moved back to the window, wondering whether he was mistaken.

But sure enough, there was a one-foot tall, light blue blob padding through the weather, its dark blue back feathers beginning to turn white in the snow.

Ash blinked. It couldn't be...

He spun around, scanning the Pokémon in the lodge. His eyes settled on Dawn, hoping to see her familiar blue starter Pokémon perched on her head.

Nope.

"It's Piplup," Ash said incredulously.

"What?" Dawn asked, hearing him. The Coordinator took one look at him and realized something was wrong. She looked past him through the window, around at her other Pokémon, and paled.

"What is he doing?" Dawn shrieked, darting to the door quickly.

"Wait, Dawn!" Ash called, but the Coordinator had already run outside, only pausing long enough to shut the door behind her.

"What's going on?" Brock asked, walking out of the kitchen with bowls of Pokémon food.

Ash pointed out the window. Brock looked out to see Piplup nearly to the trees and Dawn battling the elements to catch up to him. His eyes widened.

"What is he doing out there?"

"I think he's going to get an item Dawn saw out there," Ash theorized. "I think they'll be fine, but it's going to take a while for them to warm up when they get back."

Brock's face was more serious than Ash had maybe ever seen it. "You need to go after them, Ash."

Ash didn't need to be told twice. He walked to the coatrack briskly. "For sure, but it should be ok, right? Visibility is still good enough we can make it back without a problem. It's only a hundred feet or so."

Brock didn't respond. Ash followed his eyes to the monitor on the wall, which had a red bar running along the screen and huge block letters flashing.

 **ALERT: DO NOT LEAVE THE LODGE. BLIZZARD ETA: 11:30 A.M.; DURATION: 8 HR.**

"The blizzard is early," Brock said gravely.

Ash threw on his coat, fiddling with the zipper impatiently.

"Listen carefully, Ash," Brock spoke quickly. "Route 217 is flanked by deep, icy ravines. Beyond that group of trees Piplup went into is basically a cliff. It is _imperative_ they don't go past the last tree in the clearing – otherwise, with all the snow, they'll have no idea how far out the cliff actually extends. They fall into that ravine, Ash... they'd need a miracle to get out."

Ash blanched further and ran to the door, about to rush out.

"Pi, pika!" His most faithful Pokémon scampered to him, eager to help.

Brock cut in. "Decision's yours, Ash, but just remember it's hailing out there."

Ash set his jaw, thinking quickly. "Thanks bud, but I'll be right back. I'm only taking Chimchar; that way I'll have some heat insurance." Ash called Chimchar back to his Ball.

Pikachu nodded encouragingly. "Pika, pi, pikachu!"

Ash shot his Pokémon a thankful smile and nodded to Brock before running out the door. He was immediately pelted by snow and ice; the hailstones weren't so big that they were dangerous yet, but it alarmed him how quickly they'd formed.

Ash charged through the snow with forceful high knees, knowing he'd have to be fast to catch up to Dawn and Piplup. Neither of them was as explosive as he knew he could be, and he remembered their pace in the deep snow as barely half as fast as a normal walk. If he went all out, he could catch them.

Ash tuned everything out, not even bothering to block his face so he could use his hands to help run. By now, the snow was almost to his knees, and he was breathing hard as he rounded into the clearing of trees.

"Dawn!" Ash yelled happily as he made out the Coordinator's blue hair whipping against her slender frame, maybe fifteen feet in front of him. Piplup was only a few feet ahead of her. It was slightly less blustery in the clearing thanks to the tree cover, but still neither of them heard him.

Ash slowed down, relief flooding his body. Piplup was reaching for the Mental Herb, only its pointed top still visible on the tree trunk. It wasn't Piplup's most prudent expedition, but Ash figured after all this he might as well collect something for his efforts.

Piplup reached his flipper out and brushed the leaf-like item away from the tree. Before he could properly secure it, a downward gust blew the herb across the surface of the snow, a few feet toward the far edge of the clearing. Piplup pursued it, and Dawn pursued Piplup, but the gust kept pushing it a few feet further away.

Ash realized what was happening too late. He cursed himself for slowing down, returning to full speed to catch up to the duo.

"Dawn! Piplup!" Ash bellowed with all his might.

Dawn finally grabbed Piplup, just as the Penguin Pokémon finally secured the Mental Herb. She turned, having heard his voice.

"Ash?" She seemed confused as to why he was there but happy for it.

Ash smiled, about to run over to them, when he looked to his right and stopped dead in his tracks. Directly to his right was the last tree in the clearing. Dawn and Piplup had already crossed it, standing five feet in front of him.

Dawn tracked his gaze, and the look on his face must've helped her put the pieces together. She looked behind her, seeing the snowbank round over into the deep ravine. Her eyes were wide when she looked back at him.

Ash put his hands up to calm her. "You could be on solid ground under that snow. But just to be safe, I need you to walk towards me one step at a time."

"Ash," Dawn said slowly, her voice quivering. "I'm going to toss you Piplup first. Please catch him."

"Pip, piplup!" The prideful and ever loyal Pokémon protested, but Dawn wasn't having it.

"You got us into this, so don't you dare argue with me."

Dawn would never berate Piplup, no matter how bad a mistake he made. Ash knew she was simply saying whatever was necessary to ensure Piplup's safety. Ash gritted his teeth. Part of him wanted to scream at her to just run to him, but he knew that Dawn was thinking of the worst-case scenario and making sure Piplup would make it through.

"I understand, Dawn," Ash said calmly, belying the pounding of his heart in his ears. "Throw him to me."

Dawn was very careful not to bend her knees or shift her weight, instead using her arms to toss Piplup underhand to Ash. He caught the Penguin Pokémon, gently depositing him on the ground behind him.

"Good job, Dawn. He's safe. Now you, one step at a time."

Ash reached his hand out, Dawn doing the same. Their fingers were practically already touching. Just one step, Ash thought. If Dawn could take one step forward safely, he knew he could pull her to safety.

"No need to worry," Dawn said with a deep breath, though Ash could still see her shaking.

Time seemed to slow as Dawn picked one boot up and stepped forward, planting it ahead of her. She sighed in relief as the ground held, reaching her arm out for him.

Just as their fingertips touched, Ash's peripheral vision caught Dawn's planted foot sink further. Before he could react, Dawn's expression turned from relief to horror as the snow gave way beneath her.

"Ash!" she shrieked.

Ash turned to his instincts.

"Chimchar!" he yelled as he lunged forward, grabbing Dawn by her wrist. His body continued to slide toward the edge for a moment until he felt forces pulling back on each of his ankles.

"Pip, piplup!"

"Chimchar, char!"

"Thanks, guys," Ash managed, using his left hand to anchor himself in the snow.

"Ash!" Dawn called up at him happily, and he smiled back at her.

Ash started to lift Dawn up when he felt the snow give slightly under his chest. Some of it slid off the edge, and Dawn watched it pass her.

Ash closed his eyes, knowing what he had to do. Dawn was light enough for him to pull up, but in lunging forward to grab her, he was now somewhere on the snow bank, not solid ground, so he didn't have the leverage to pull against. And Chimchar and Piplup's combined weight was a fraction of his and Dawn's - the Pokémon simply couldn't pull them up.

Dawn had worked this out. "Let go, Ash."

Ash ignored her, turning his head slightly to address his Pokémon. "Chimchar, when I give the word, I want you to let go of me. Take Piplup, use Flame Wheel, and get back to the lodge safe. Tell Brock what happened. You hear me?" Chimchar looked at him with scared eyes.

"Pip, lup, piplup!" Dawn's Pokémon argued.

"No, Ash!" Dawn screamed. "They can still pull you up, just let me go!"

Ash continued to ignore her, looking into Chimchar's eyes. Finally, the Chimp Pokémon nodded.

"Don't, Ash!"

"Chimchar, now!"

As Chimchar let go, Ash kneed the snow underneath himself. It collapsed, and he pulled Dawn into his body as they started falling, digging his feet into the wall of the ravine, which sloped slightly inward toward the middle of the abyss. The only way they were going to survive was staying attached to the wall; if they fell into the middle, it was game over.

Dawn latched onto his body as they fell, her arms around his neck and her head buried in his shoulder. He made sure to hold her legs away from the wall so they wouldn't chafe against the rock face. He wasn't so lucky, though – his clothing helped, but using his back to brace their slide was bruising it badly.

"Ash," Dawn said breathlessly, pointing down as they slid.

He looked down to see a protruding ledge about a hundred feet below, but several feet to their right. The way they were going, they'd slide past it.

"Dawn, when I tell you, I need you to kick us to the right using your legs. Just push them against the wall quickly. Don't linger or you'll get injured."

Dawn made a sound into his shoulder that Ash took as agreement. In any case, he didn't have time to check.

"Now!"

With a whimper, Dawn pushed against the side of the ravine, shifting her body weight to his right. Their tangled bodies came off the face of the ravine, spinning through the air toward the ledge.

Ash sighed. This was going to hurt.

He held Dawn tightly and timed the spin so his back hit the snowy rock of the ledge. They slid a few feet, but eventually came to a stop safely – if there was such a thing in this situation.

Ash closed his eyes in pain, staying quiet so as not to worry Dawn. She figured him out anyway, rubbing a hand on his chest slowly as she lay next to him, still processing what had just happened.

Ash couldn't muster the energy to say anything yet, and worse the adrenaline was wearing off, which let the physical toll and emotions of the past minute come rushing in. His stomach dropped in delayed panic, and a battered groan slipped through his lips against his will.

Dawn shuffled clumsily next to him. He opened his eyes slightly to see her sit on her haunches and pull his head into her lap. She continued to rub his chest with one hand, her other hand now running through his hair worriedly.

"I'm ok," Ash said, but the cracking of his voice told otherwise.

"You're hurt badly, Ash. Stay still," Dawn ordered.

Her voice calmed him, and as it did, he registered something that'd fallen to the back of his mind.

The blizzard.

The winds didn't gust as wildly as they did at surface level, but in the ravine, air currents ran down the gap haphazardly, building up speed and pressure and rushing past them one direction, then the other. The wind chill was worse than the surface; Ash could tell it was well below freezing. Snow fell in thicker clumps down here as well, already accumulating enough to outline the space cleared by his and Dawn's bodies on the ledge. The hailstones were beginning to gain mass; before long, they were going to start inflicting injury.

Ash summoned some energy and sat up, understanding that they had to act.

"Ash, you're still hurt!" Dawn protested, but Ash shook his head.

"Thanks, Dawn, but I'm alright now. More importantly, we need to get out of this mess."

Dawn relented, looking up. "How far did we fall? Hundreds of feet, it felt like."

"At least three hundred feet. Maybe five hundred."

"I don't have any of my Pokémon on me."

"Me neither," Ash confessed. He cursed himself for not bringing Staraptor, though he suspected even the Flying-type couldn't navigate this storm.

"I should've brought Mamoswine," Dawn said regretfully. "He's an Ice-type, he could've helped us with the hail, if not more."

"It's not your fault, neither of us expected this would happen," Ash consoled. "Maybe Grotle would've been able to Rock Climb us out of here if I had him. Honestly, I doubt it. But there's nothing we can do about it now, either way."

His statement sounded more final than he meant it to, and both of them were silent as they realized their dearth of options.

"Do you have anything else on you?" Dawn asked quietly.

Ash swallowed, checking his pockets. "Um, just my Pokédex. Same for you?"

Dawn leaned her head against the cold rock behind her. "Not even. I put everything in my bag at the lodge. All I have is my Pokétch."

"What time is it?"

"11:27."

"Right before I left the lodge, news came in that the blizzard was coming early."

Dawn looked at him. "How early?"

"11:30."

"So this is about to get even worse." Dawn hugged her knees to her chest. "Why did it move up so much?"

Ash shook his head, unable to give an answer.

"What should we do, Ash?"

Ash felt his heart fall at the vulnerability in her voice. He could hear the hope, too, that he would know what to do. He didn't.

"We have to wait, for now. I'm confident that Chimchar and Piplup made it back alright – they should be able to communicate to Brock what happened. Then, if the blizzard isn't bad enough, he can try to send Staraptor down... with rope, maybe... well, there wouldn't be rope that long, probably... or send him back to Shelter Town or up to Snowpoint City for help."

Ash flailed to give Dawn hope, but she didn't say anything. Ash didn't blame her. The two of them had barely been able to move outside, and that was before the start of the blizzard. The chances that Brock or Staraptor could set foot outside the lodge once it started, much less arrange help for them, were slim.

"Set an alarm on your Pokétch for an hour, Dawn," Ash followed up grimly. "If we haven't heard anything by then, we can be pretty sure we're on our own."


	15. Dawn - Warm (2 of 2)

Author's Note

And here's part 2! Reminder to check out the last chapter to understand what's going on in this one. Kudos to goldenfox444 and FanficFan920 for predicting there would be a reference to the episode "Snow Way Out!" in this chapter. And Happy Mother's Day!

Thank you to Advanceshipping, goldenfox444, FanficFan920, Brightwizard21, ultimateCCC, and PenningSomeTales for your thoughts since the last chapter!

* * *

"Can we even make it an hour in this?" Dawn asked rhetorically, but the question drew Ash's attention to her state, which had slipped his notice. As her fingers pushed at her Pokétch, Ash could see them shivering violently. Her knees vibrated with the cold, and her skin looked paler than normal.

Ash looked down at himself. He was freezing as well, but his symptoms weren't as bad yet. He looked Dawn up and down. Her body, which he would usually describe as slender, seemed skinnier and frailer in the cold.

Dawn caught his eyes. "My mom always joked I needed more fat to insulate from the cold. I'm not sure it works that way, but right now I definitely can't say she's wrong. And this skirt isn't helping."

"We should consolidate body heat," Ash offered, remembering how he had survived a blizzard once – albeit in a cave – by cuddling with his Pokémon. He stopped, unsure how to proceed.

Dawn didn't need prompting, though. She slid next to him, then crawled into his lap with the gentle deftness of a cat, settling in so only her boots were outside their bubble. She caught his surprised look and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, you're warm."

If Ash had any heat in his body to go around, it would be in his face. "Yeah, uh, no worries. This is good."

Dawn placed her gloveless hands between her thighs, pressing them together for heat. Ash wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into him. He wasn't sure if it was physical or emotional, but their closeness did make him feel warmer.

"So, what's your strategy for your next Gym battle?"

Ash told her, and they discussed how things were going on each of their quests for a while, exchanging thoughts, suggestions, and encouragement. It would have felt like a normal heart-to-heart for them, if not for the steadily strengthening snowfall and progressively larger balls of hail that rained down. Every few minutes, Dawn would brush the snow off Ash's hair and arms, and Ash cleared her beanie and jacket.

The conversation reached a lull, and Ash noticed Dawn's eyes drooping. He raised his voice, alarmed.

"Hey, let's play on your Pokétch. It has some games, right?"

Dawn's eyes fluttered open. "Yeah... a few. Can you press the buttons, though? I feel sorta tired."

Ash shook his head. "No, I want you to stay active. Just put your hands between us so they aren't exposed as much."

Dawn did as he said, and Ash made sure to move his hands up and shield her head from the hail, which had grown to a dangerous size. They entertained themselves with the Pokétch, playing on the Coin Toss, Dot Artist, and Roulette apps.

Dawn eventually stopped pressing at the screen, looking up at him glumly. Her breathing was shallow, and her shivering had returned full force. Her normally smooth skin looked dry, and snow powder stuck to her nose.

"Ash..." Her weak mumble made his heart drop. He put a hand on her exposed thigh and pulled it away quickly – even in his lap, they'd become colder than ice. He carefully lifted Dawn and placed her to the side, fumbling with his pant buckle.

"Hey," she protested at being pulled from him. "What are you doing?"

Ash stripped his pants off, ignoring the immediate burst of cold to his legs. He reached for Dawn's boots, but the Coordinator realized his intent and seemed to regain her energy, flailing so he couldn't touch her.

"No, Ash! Put them back on! You're going to freeze!"

"No, you're going to freeze. Just stop and let me do it."

Dawn continued to squirm away from him, but Ash easily pinned her arms with one hand, pulling her boots off with the other. He slipped his pants onto her, pulling each side up alternatingly. He stopped when he reached knee-level, shooting her a pleading look.

"Fine! I'll do it," Dawn cut in. Ash breathed a sigh of relief, not wanting to go up any further without her approval. He turned around to give her privacy.

"Not how I imagined getting into your pants would go," Dawn muttered from behind him. Ash chuckled nervously. "I'm done, come here."

Ash returned to his sitting position and Dawn resumed her perch in his lap, curling her legs around his now only boxer-clad lower body to give him some warmth. She laid still there, and Ash thought frantically about what he could to engage her.

"You don't ever give up, do you?" Dawn laughed hollowly. "Gimme your Pokédex, that'll occupy me."

Ash handed it to her, and she scrolled through it, watching the screen flash with lidded eyes. He watched her, noting that her fine motor control was so far gone she could barely operate the machine. He cursed his gloves for being fingerless, otherwise he would've forced her to wear them as well.

"Look at this," Dawn said weakly, turning the Pokédex to him and pressing a button.

"Moltres," Dexter read. "One of the legendary bird Pokémon. It is said that its appearance indicates the coming of spring."

Dawn touched Moltres' fiery plumage on the Pokédex screen wistfully. "Wouldn't that be nice right about now?"

Ash smiled. "Yeah, it –"

 _RING! RING! RING!_

They both looked down at the Pokétch alarm, stunned. It was 12:30. They looked at each other.

"Looks like we're on our own," Dawn stated slowly.

Ash watched in fear as color drained from the Coordinator's face. Clearly, she'd been fighting the cold in her body with the hope they'd be found. Hope that had just disappeared.

"Someone could be on their way, Dawn," Ash tried to argue. Hail crashed into his hands and Dawn's back, as if to undermine his point.

"Maybe, Ash," Dawn said, her speech beginning to slur. "You never give up. I know you'll make it somehow."

"We," Ash corrected desperately. "We'll make it somehow."

Dawn's big blue eyes looked up at him kindly. "Right. But... just in case. Thank you... for not letting go of me. I know it's selfish, but... going in your arms is so much better... than just falling."

Ash shook his head, hearing the resignation in her voice. As much as he tried to be strong, tears started falling on their own. They didn't make it far, freezing into crystals before they even reached his nose.

Dawn mustered the last of her strength and leaned forward in his lap, pushing her mouth against his. Her normally tender-looking lips felt dry and cracked, and his own weren't any better. While he knew there was affection in the gesture, it felt colder to him than anything the elements had thrown at them, because he knew the kiss said goodbye.

The momentary strength in Dawn's body evaporated, and she slumped past him, her head resting limply on his shoulder.

"Dawn? Dawn!" She didn't respond, and Ash checked her pulse worriedly. It was weak and slow, but it was there. She'd only lost consciousness.

Ash's sigh of relief was cut short by his realization that if he didn't start warming her up soon, she would never wake up again. But if Brock hadn't managed to get to them yet, what were the chances that he could just keep waiting and help would arrive in time?

Normally, this was the point where he took things into his own hands. Only this time, he had no cards left to play.

Ash buried his face in Dawn's hair, rocking her body back and forth in a daze as the blizzard raged on around them. He was physically and emotionally exhausted, and with Dawn passed out, his own situation was calling for his attention. It wasn't long before he knew frostbite would set in or he would pass out, and he'd be totally incapable of doing anything for either of them.

As Dawn's body shifted, something suddenly fell out of her lap, burying itself in the snow beside them. Ash angled his head to see it was just his Pokédex.

He grabbed it, ready to shut it off, when his eyes lingered on the entry Dawn had pulled up for Moltres. He stared at it wistfully. Just the thought of those flames nearby numbed the biting cold a bit. His eyes drooped tiredly.

" _They fall into that ravine, Ash... they'd need a miracle to get out."_

He snorted weakly, his head nodding at the memory of Brock's words as he approached unconsciousness. The Breeder had been right. Only a miracle could –

Ash's eyes flew open, and his grip tightened on his Pokédex. His heart palpitated and spiked his blood pressure suddenly as he stared at the picture on the screen with wide eyes.

"Could it really be that simple?" he whispered.

Ash pressed the up button on his Pokédex twice and selected the entry for Dexter to read.

"Articuno. A legendary bird Pokémon. It can create blizzards by freezing moisture in the air."

Ash's head spun. The blizzard on Route 217 coming in so unpredictably early and the snowbank around the ravine growing so unnaturally large could in fact be explained by a single phenomenon.

An Articuno arriving in the ravine.

Ash pressed the button for Dexter to continue, his mind racing.

"The flapping of Articuno's wings chills the air. As a result, it is said that when this Pokémon flies, snow will fall. Articuno lives in cold, isolated locations, and, according to legend, appears before doomed travelers lost in icy regions. It sometimes aids travelers and guides them to safety."

Before he allowed himself to build hope, Ash knew he needed more evidence for his theory. If he remembered his lore correctly, one each of the three Legendary birds tended to roam Sinnoh at all times. And the president of the Pokétch Company had made it a little easier to find them.

Ash carefully lifted Dawn's wrist, fiddling with her Pokétch until he found the Marking Map. It showed five indistinguishable icons on the map in different places, each denoting the location of a Legendary Pokémon known to roam Sinnoh. Ash stared, mouth agape.

One of the icons was over Route 217.

There was no way to be absolutely sure that it was Articuno. And even if it was, there was no way to know it was in the ravine and not somewhere else nearby. But the ravine was definitely a cold, isolated location. As far as Ash was concerned, the chances were good.

Ash felt like he was building a house of cards, but a quick glance at Dawn reminded him he couldn't give up on this glimmer of hope, no matter how precarious his theory was.

He remembered meeting a wild Articuno before; it was majestic but kind, helping him in his time of need. What puzzled him was that he and Dawn were most definitely doomed travelers by any measure, and if an Articuno really was in the ravine, wouldn't it have helped them by now?

Ash scrunched his brow, thinking more deeply. When an Articuno roosted in a mountain, its isolated location of choice tended to be the mountaintop. The analogous location in an icy ravine would be the bottom, or at least very far down. But unlike a mountaintop, where an Articuno could observe everything beneath it, in the depths of the ravine, even if an Articuno could sense two travelers above it, there was no way it could know they were in trouble.

But how could he draw its attention?

His voice was too hoarse and the blizzard too loud for him to try yelling. The only objects he had around that he could throw were his jacket and his Pokédex, neither of which had a good chance of attracting an Articuno's attention among the heavy snow and hail.

Ash blinked, focusing on that thought. He just had to attract its attention. If he did, then it would probably fly up. It would take Dawn to safety. Ash grinned widely. He did have one card left to play.

Ash was nearing delirium, but he knew what he had to do. He pulled Dawn out of his lap with great effort, clumsily pushing snow away from where he intended to lay her. He bent her legs and arms to keep them close to her core, and he stuck her hands inside her coat to prevent frostbite. Lastly, he took off his jacket, placing it under her to insulate from the cold rock of the ledge. He made sure the red of her own coat was visible to attract the attention of help, whether that came from someone above or Articuno below.

Ash struggled against his joints to stand up, his own breathing becoming shallow as his energy surge wore off and the elements took their toll. He took one final look at Dawn's small, unconscious form, wishing he could see her bright blue eyes one last time.

"You'll be warm soon, Dawn. No need to worry," he promised.

Ash dragged his battered body toward the edge of the ledge. His theory was foolproof, right? If Articuno was anywhere in the ravine below, it would definitely sense a large, living mass plummeting past it, right? And it would definitely investigate where it came from? And find Dawn and take her to safety?

Right?

Ash stood at the edge of the ledge, clad only in his shirt and boxers, looking down. So many ifs. He could just turn around now, and hold Dawn, and they could just wait there together. Or fade away, together.

But if there was even a fraction of a chance that he could help Dawn, he had to do this, no matter how uncertain or crazy it was.

Right?

Cold tremors rattled through Ash's body. He swayed groggily, a fog entering his mind. He had to make a decision before it was out of his hands. A warm blue suddenly flashed through his mind.

" _You don't ever give up, do you?"_

Ash threw himself off the ledge, suppressing a scream as his body hurtled down the ravine, buffeted by the wind, snow, and hail. Ten feet turned into a hundred, two hundred, five hundred, and he closed his eyes, surrendering his panicked thoughts of hitting the bottom in lieu of a prayer that Articuno would find Dawn.

When Ash finally stopped falling, the end came faster than he expected. He'd expected a moment of unbearable pain, but instead he felt like he was floating on a soft bed of feathers. It was warm, even.

Feathers?

Ash forced his eyes open, and he was surprised to see the blizzard still whirling around him. It still howled and spat, but none of it touched him anymore. He turned his head weakly to see his hands resting on blue plumage, with majestic wings stretching out to the side.

Ash wanted to laugh. Or cry. He wasn't sure. But before that, there was only one thing on his mind.

"Dawn. Please. My friend... up above, the ledge."

Articuno screeched and the blizzard parted ways in front of it. With a few flaps of its wings, it streaked up to the ledge, and Ash exhaled deeply at the sight of Dawn right where he left her.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

Ash could barely keep his eyes open. The moment Articuno secured Dawn in its gray talons, Ash felt the tension leave his body, and he knew he was about to pass out.

"Nearest city... Shelter Town... Pokémon Center," was all Ash managed before he blacked out.

* * *

The first thing Ash felt as he came to was heat; compared to his last assessment of his body, he was on fire. His body felt heavy and his movement seemed restricted by the warmth. The second thing he noticed was the pain: his torso, back, feet, and hands were throbbing like he wasn't sure he'd ever felt. He opened his eyes groggily.

"Pika, chu!"

"Pip, pip, lup!"

"Chim, char, char!"

Ash smiled at the voices of the Pokémon, turning to look at their worried faces. "Hey guys," his voice came out dry and hoarse and he cleared his throat. Before he could get another word out, though, the three of them tackled him in a hug, and he laughed, enjoying the affection.

He looked past them to the left to see the walls of what he reasoned was the Pokémon Center. He was in a fairly sizable room he assumed was reserved for larger Pokémon, and beside his bed was a screen monitoring his blood pressure and pulse, its leads ducking under the blankets on the bed and attaching to him.

"Ash..."

Ash turned his head the other way to see a welcome sight: Dawn. She was standing above a chair next to his bed in her regular clothes, tears flowing down her face, her hands pressed over her nose and mouth in happiness.

His smile grew wider. "Hey there."

As the Pokémon backed off from their embrace, Dawn tackled him in her own, her sobs muffled in his shoulder.

"I was so scared you were gone," she whispered.

"I'm so glad you're ok," Ash said softly, wishing he could hug her back. "Articuno pulled through, huh?"

" _You_ pulled through," Dawn corrected, pulling back and wiping her eyes. "What in the world did you do, Ash?"

Ash figured it was best not to tell her the whole story. "I got lucky."

"I don't believe you."

He chuckled. "I'll tell you the whole story another time. Where is Articuno now? What time is it?"

Dawn glanced at her Pokétch. "A little past 2 A.M. Apparently Articuno got us here around 1 P.M., and we were admitted immediately. You really made an impression on it – Nurse Joy said Articuno stayed put outside the Pokémon Center until she reported that we were both out of the woods. Then it left."

Ash nodded, thanking the Legendary Pokémon silently. Hopefully, one day he could thank it in person. Ash glanced at the worried faces of Pikachu, Chimchar, and Piplup, shooting them another smile.

"So Brock made it here?" he asked Dawn.

"Nurse Joy told me that around the time we were brought here, the blizzard stopped. I think we have Articuno to thank for that. Brock was here by 2 P.M. Apparently, he sent Staraptor out to check the ravine and booked it here as soon as he could, at which point he realized we were safe. He was a mess until I woke up and Nurse Joy reassured him you would be fine."

Ash made a mental note to talk to the Breeder later. He was sure Brock blamed himself for the situation getting as far as out of hand as it did, even though it could have been far worse without the man's foresight.

"And these three," Dawn said, gesturing at the Pokémon at his side, "have been by our side since they got here. Brock and the other Pokémon were as well, but they were falling asleep on their feet so I told them to get some shut-eye."

Ash extricated his arms from the sheets, rubbing Pikachu and Chimchar's heads. "Thank you, guys. Chimchar, you trusted me and did as I asked, and you made sure Piplup got back to Brock safe. If you hadn't, it would have been much tougher for Brock to understand what happened and how to react. I am so proud of you."

Chimchar squeezed his hand and said its name quietly, emotional at his praise. Ash swallowed and turned to Pikachu.

"I told you I'd be right back, didn't I?"

Pikachu's worried expression turned to mock anger and the Mouse Pokémon conjured sparks at his cheeks. Ash laughed and Pikachu followed suit, licking his Trainer's face happily.

"And Piplup," Ash started. Dawn's most faithful Pokémon looked at him remorsefully, clearly ready to be reprimanded. Ash placed a hand on his head. "It's not your fault."

Piplup stared at him and burst into tears. Dawn picked him up and stroked his head comfortingly, mouthing a thank you to Ash. "I was talking to Piplup earlier, and he said he has something to give you."

"Oh, yeah?"

Piplup wiped his face and pulled an item from his feathers, handing the Mental Herb to the raven-haired Trainer. Ash spun it in his hand thoughtfully.

"Thank you, Piplup. I get what you're trying to say, but everything is okay now." Ash reached up to Dawn and tucked the shiny cyan leaf behind her ear; it complemented her dark blue hair beautifully. "Besides, this was all you wanted, wasn't it? She looks very pretty with it."

Dawn blushed deeply, and Piplup nodded fervently, tears in its eyes again.

"I think it's your bedtime," Dawn said to her emotional Pokémon. "All three of you. Pikachu?"

"Cha!" Pikachu licked Ash's face again and shepherded Chimchar and Piplup out of the room to get much needed rest, leaving Ash and Dawn alone.

"Hey, you," Dawn said to him, her voice more vulnerable now. She rubbed the back of her hand against Ash's cheek, and he closed his eyes at the warm sensation. "Thank you. I really don't know what to say. You did something crazy to get us out of there, didn't you?"

Ash gazed up at her, knowing one day she would pry it out of him. But not tonight. "Maybe. But you know what's really crazy? You being up and about. I can barely move, and you were much worse off than me."

Dawn rolled her eyes at his attempt to change the subject, but allowed it. "I don't want to hear that. When I got here, I was apparently wearing your coat, and you were just wearing your shirt and boxer shorts." Dawn shot him an accusatory look, but Ash grinned sheepishly, staying silent. "Anyway, I get cold fast, but I warm up fast, too. It wasn't even that fast, really. I only woke up around 8 P.M. or so."

"You've been here since then?" Ash asked, looking at the chair behind her.

Dawn twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "I mean, I didn't sit down here 'til 9. I ate, I showered, you know."

"You look great. I would hardly believe you just almost froze in a blizzard," Ash said wryly, scanning her neat form and glowing skin appreciatively.

Dawn blushed again. "I didn't want you to wake up to a thawed blue popsicle."

They both laughed. The door to the room opened, and Nurse Joy popped her head in, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Ash, you're awake, that's good to see. How do you feel?" The nurse walked to his bedside, glancing at the monitors next to him.

"Good, Nurse Joy, thank you for treating me," Ash said gratefully.

"Of course, Ash. Can I bring you anything? Another blanket? We needed to warm you up gradually, so you may not have as many as you need."

"Another blanket would be great, actually."

"I'll get it, Nurse Joy," Dawn interjected. "You should go back to bed, you've done so much for us today."

Nurse Joy nodded and shuffled out, wishing them good night. Ash looked at Dawn, who was staring at him, a fire in her eyes.

"Um, how about that blanket?"

"It's right here."

Dawn slipped under his sheets, resting her chest on his side and sliding one of her legs between his. Ash inhaled in surprise as her hands rubbed his arms.

"I suppose that'll do."

Dawn beamed. "Good. Because we have some unfinished business."

Ash had barely processed what she said when she was suddenly kissing him, pressing herself into his body passionately as her soft, tender lips danced on his, pouring her pent emotion into him freely. Ash let her lead, welcoming everything she placed in the gesture: gratitude, relief, trust, hope. Possibilities.

Dawn eventually pulled back, burying her face in his neck breathlessly. She spoke with an edge, clearly proud of her work.

"How was that for you?"

Ash just closed his eyes, smiling.

"Warm."


	16. Serena - Affection

Author's Note

Serena rounds out the third round of the core four! Many of you will be happy to hear that we have four wildcards next, and - with Ash's "birthday" coming up - the much-requested Sun and Moon girls are slated to appear!

Many thanks for the great feedback after the last chapter, especially from reviewers stars90, Brightwizard21, ultimateCCC, Doc oc 102, Pearl shipper, goldenfox444, 76, Ale15, Jeannot197870 (x2), FanficFan920, magic135, KakeruPB, and Murtaugh!

* * *

Ash rolled the Poké Puff around in his mouth, savoring the way it crumbled and dissolved, marveling at how something that tasted so rich could have such an airy texture.

"It's great, Serena!" he complimented warmly, smiling as the Performer's cheeks turned a rosy red.

"I second that!" Bonnie agreed, nibbling away at her cake.

"Good work!" Clemont added as he finished his own.

"Thank you, guys," Serena replied, beaming at their reactions. "I'm glad you like them."

The foursome began walking up to their room in the Pokémon Center, ready to turn in after a long day of traveling.

"If you weren't gonna be the greatest Performer in the world, you'd be the greatest baker in the world, no doubt!" Bonnie exclaimed, and Serena just laughed as the girl skipped ahead, Clemont on her heels.

"She's right, you know," Ash added as the two moved out of earshot.

"She's exaggerating. But as far as the thought goes, I do appreciate it. By the way," Serena said, working her bag with nervous fingers, "these are for you."

She produced a small case with four more Poké Puffs, holding it out to Ash.

Ash took it, staring at her. "Just for me?"

She winked at him, already blushing as she did. "Don't tell Clemont and Bonnie, ok?"

Serena walked briskly ahead, following the siblings back to the room. Ash opened the case, suppressing his drool at the sight of the colorful confections.

"One per day, one per day," Ash told himself as he walked backed to the room. Eventually he popped a frosted citrus puff into his mouth, chewing happily. "Ok, two per day."

Ash greeted Pikachu as he joined the rest of the group, noting Bonnie already in bed and Clemont about to get in. Serena was in the bathroom changing. Ash gathered his clothes and waited for Serena to finish, looking at the case of Poké Puffs he'd been gifted.

Serena always gave him a little something extra when she baked for the group, probably because she knew how much he loved eating. He was never going to complain; despite the girl's protests, she was definitely one of the most skilled bakers he'd ever encountered. But her generosity toward him made him feel like he didn't do enough for her sometimes. He probably consumed about half of everything Serena baked, and the only thing he'd given her in return was some blue ribbon, which barely felt like it counted seeing as it had basically fallen into his lap.

Ash frowned at the thought, wondering how it was that Serena didn't resent him or at least grow tired of spoiling him.

"I'm out, Ash," Serena called gently, careful not to wake Bonnie, as she returned to the room in her pajamas.

"Mm, thanks."

Ash changed quickly and got in bed, his mind made up. Maybe his training tomorrow could wait a few hours? He could try doing something for Serena. The thought made him feel good, and he drifted off to sleep considering what he would do.

Ash could tell he awoke earlier than usual by the degree of darkness in the room. There was enough early morning light to identify the reason for his waking, though, which was a fully-dressed Serena padding to the door. He watched her through half-lidded eyes curiously; she did normally wake up before him, but this was early even for her.

The Performer arrived at the counter next to his bed, and opened the case of Poké Puffs she'd given him the night before. Ash watched in confusion as she observed the confections momentarily before writing something in a notebook and leaving the room.

Ash rubbed his eyes, sitting up. What was that about? His first thought was that Serena was hungry, but she hadn't taken one of the sweets. It looked more like she was checking on whether he'd eaten them. But what purpose could that possibly serve? She knew he loved her baking.

Ash shook his head, jumping out of bed. No point in trying to divine Serena's intentions. If there was some problem, he could right it by going through on his idea of reciprocating her gifts. And he knew how to do it, simply and fittingly.

This time, he was going to bake for Serena.

Ash left Pikachu to catch up on sleep and freshened up before heading off to find the Pokémon Center kitchen. It was at the back, tucked behind the mess hall. The breakfast chefs had already cleared out, leaving the area for general use. Ash walked through the kitchen, scratching his head at the variety of tools and heavy-duty equipment. Everything he needed would definitely be here. He just was unsure how to use it.

Ash's stomach grumbled, and he decided to have breakfast before tackling the baking. Walking out to the dining area, he noticed a familiar red hat poking out above a bench back. He quickly served himself some cereal and strolled over to join Serena.

"So, Fennekin, if you tally it up... it comes to 53, give or take the few I haven't been able to track. Do you think that's enough?"

Fennekin cooed encouragingly as Ash came up behind them.

"What're you guys up to?"

Serena jumped, clearly startled by his presence. She shut the notebook on the table quickly, looking up at him with a red face.

"A- Ash, hey! Good morning!" Fennekin greeted him as well, albeit nervously.

"Good morning to you guys, too. What's going on?" Ash noticed her breakfast bowl was empty already.

Serena stuffed her notebook in her bag, shrugging. "Nothing, nothing at all. Fennekin and I were just talking, that's all. We're not doing our Performance training for another few hours, so you know, just shooting the breeze. As we do. Sometimes."

"Uh-huh." Ash could tell Serena was omitting something – she never lied, but she tended to ramble when she was being unforthcoming.

"So... What are you gonna do after breakfast?" Serena's anxious visage relaxed, and she rested her forearms on the table, searching his face brightly.

It was Ash's turn to sweat. He didn't want to spoil the surprise. "Um, I'm actually also taking a few hours off from training. Just taking some time to myself."

Serena blinked, caught off guard by his shiftiness. "Oh. What are you up to?"

Ash couldn't bring himself to lie to those azure eyes. "I'm preparing a gift for someone."

"A gift? For whom?"

Ash was unused to the Performer being so intense. Her insistence was unusual, especially considering he was giving off vibes that he didn't want to talk about it.

"For someone I care about," he answered sincerely, looking away quickly under the pretense of finishing his cereal.

Serena leaned back, off-kilter. Fennekin was watching her Trainer worriedly. "You can't tell me who it is?"

Ash shook his head playfully. "For now, let's just say she's someone you know well."

Serena went still suddenly, the energy in her face withering. "She?"

Ash wasn't sure what he'd said wrong, but Serena suddenly looked very upset. She stood, picking Fennekin off the table and cradling the Pokémon in her arms.

"I'm gonna walk around for a while. I'll see you later," she said absently, shuffling away before he could respond. Ash watched the Performer move, head bowed and red vest swinging slowly, wondering what caused the sudden change in her mood.

Whatever it was, his baking should remedy it, he told himself.

The first order of business, though, was to actually get his hands on a recipe. He made a beeline for the lobby of the Pokémon Center, knowing exactly whom to consult.

"Hey, Mom!" Ash said through the videophone, waving.

"Ash! It's so good to see you, my dear. How is everything? Are you changing your –"

" _Everything_ is good, Mom." Ash gave his mom a pointed look to make sure she wouldn't embarrass him in public. "We're stopped at a Pokémon Center for now, but we've been making good time on our travels so far."

"That's my Pokémon Master. And how are Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont?"

"They're doing well. Serena had a tough loss recently, but she's really bounced back. Clemont has been inventing away, as usual. And Bonnie's just full of energy, of course."

"Excellent. And are you taking special care of Serena?" Delia raised an eyebrow at him.

"Mom..." Ash sighed, rubbing his neck. "Well, that's sort of what I'm calling about."

Delia paused, staring at him through the monitor. "Oh, my boy is all grown up! Asking for advice in his love life, I never thought I'd see the day! Gary was right, you do have it in you!"

"Mom, I'm not asking for advice! I'm asking for – hold on, what did Gary say about me?"

Delia waved her hand dismissively. "Nothing, nothing, Ash. Now, out with it. What did you want to ask me?"

Ash explained, and Delia nodded approvingly. "If there's anything your mom can help with, it's a recipe. So, what would you like to make Serena?"

Ash pumped his fist. "Macarons! She makes them all the time for us, they're delicious!"

Delia squinted thoughtfully. "When made right, macarons certainly are tasty. But they're very technically challenging. Do you have any other ideas?"

"How about Poké Puffs, then?"

"Maybe something a little simpler, dear?"

Ash angled his head, shooting his mother an accusatory look. "You don't think I can bake, can you?"

Delia looked back at him with a poker face. "I think you can do anything you put your mind to, Ash. I just think maybe training comes easier to you than something like baking. A lot easier."

Ash relented, knowing his mother was right. "Ok, ok. So, what do you suggest I bake? That even _I_ can't mess up?"

Once he finished his call, Ash returned to the kitchen to gather the ingredients for – of all things – sugar cookies. It didn't have the flair of the more complicated desserts he'd wanted to present to Serena, but his mother had assured him it was surefire way to give Serena a tasty gift. Given his inexperience with baking, it was a low-risk way to get virtually the same payoff.

"Flour, baking soda, baking powder... sugar," Ash mumbled, arranging the items in one place. He turned to the refrigerator. "Egg and vanilla extract. And butter."

Stirring together the flour and the two powders was easy. Ash hit his first roadblock as he tried to mix the butter and sugar. He had them both in the bowl in the right amounts, but no amount of stirring was getting them to combine. Instead, he had produced a crystal-studded block of butter.

"You have to soften the butter first, that'll help you cream it with the sugar."

Ash jerked in surprise at Serena's gentle voice from beside him. "Oh, uh, hey, Serena."

She shot him a smile. "I just wanted to say sorry for walking off so abruptly earlier. Anyone you care about is someone I care about, and I'd be happy to help if you need it."

"Uhh..." Ash looked at the ceiling, wondering whether he should say yes. The surprise element was mostly lost at this point, anyway – but he did want to preserve the essence of his gesture. "Well, I do need help... But I sort of want to do it myself, so it means more when I give it to her."

Serena swallowed, but she nodded understandingly. "How about I show you the general ropes and leave you to it?"

Ash sighed in relief. "That would be perfect."

"Did you preheat the oven?"

Ash facepalmed. "No, I forgot. Thanks."

He started the oven and turned back to the mixing bowl, where Serena was already prepared with advice.

"So, if you forget to take the butter out of the freezer in advance, which is probably the best way to soften it, there are other ways to get it there quickly." Serena glanced at his arms. "Um, you're strong, so you can do it quickly by putting the butter between two sheets of wax paper and just rolling it out."

Ash found the rolling pin and did as she said, marveling at how effective the strategy was. He would have never thought of it. From there, Serena showed him how to use the kitchen's stand mixer to complete the creaming and addition of the egg.

"Now Mom said I should add the vanilla extract."

"You talked to your mom about this?"

Ash tilted his head sheepishly. "As you can tell, I'm not very good in the kitchen. I wanted to make sure I was doing this right."

"Because you care about this girl."

Ash flushed lightly. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

"And your mom likes her, too?"

He laughed. "Yeah, Mom loves her."

Serena's voice was more subdued when she spoke. "So, you can add vanilla extract if you want, but I find you can give the recipe a fresh touch by using actual vanilla, from a vanilla bean."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, these kitchens are usually really well stocked, so you'll probably find some over there."

Serena pointed him to a cabinet, and Ash found the long, thin pods. Under the Performer's instruction, he scraped the appropriate amount of vanilla from the bean into the mixture. They put the bowl back under the stand mixer, blending in the dry ingredients as well.

Ash finally pulled the mixture away, looking in at the soft, elastic substance. "It's like... dough."

Serena giggled, some of her energy returning. "Yes, Ash, that's exactly what it is. Now we're going to take teaspoons of the dough and make round balls out of them. Let me show you one."

Ash watched, fascinated, as Serena demonstrated, pinching off some dough and rolling it between her palms deftly. She finished by pressing it with her fingertips gently, and she extended her palm to reveal a perfect sphere.

"See?"

Ash chuckled. "I have a feeling you made that look a lot easier than it is."

Serena laughed, pinching off another piece of dough. "It is easy, here, you try."

She deposited the dough onto his outstretched palm, and Ash pressed his palms together eagerly – creating a mini pancake.

"Um."

Serena bit her lip, her head bobbing. "Close, close. But not quite."

"You're trying not to laugh, aren't you?"

"I'd never..." Serena couldn't help herself, bursting into uncontrolled laughter.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a klutz in the kitchen. Get it out of your system," Ash said in mock annoyance, but he couldn't help a grin at the pure, melodic sound of Serena's laugh.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry," Serena said, smoothing her dress to collect herself. "Here."

She took the flattened dough from him and added it back to the mixing bowl, pulling out a new piece and putting it in his palm.

"Just do it gently," she suggested.

Ash gingerly put his palms together, pressing lightly and rolling. This time, the dough didn't seem to change shape at all, instead almost slipping out of his hands.

"Can I?" Serena reached her hands out, and Ash assumed she would help guide him. When he stuck his closed hands out, though, Serena looked taken aback, her cheeks turning florid. She slowly placed her hands around his.

"Cup your hands," Serena said, her voice so quiet Ash could barely hear it. He bent his hands slightly, and she covered his hands with her own, shaping them with light, warm pressure.

She retracted her hands, holding one in the other. "Try now."

Ash rolled the dough with his hands cupped the way Serena had molded them. He grinned excitedly as he produced a round ball.

"I did it!"

Serena matched his smile, still holding her hands close to her chest. "I knew you could. Now you just need to do that for the rest of the dough, put it on the cookie sheet, and bake them 'til they're golden. You can handle that, right?"

"Yeah, I think I got it from here."

The girl nodded. "Oh, one more thing."

She pulled her backpack off her back and dug inside it, fishing out a sheer, silver favor bag. "You can put the cookies in this, and..." Serena thought for a moment and reached back into her bag, bringing out a spool of blue ribbon he recognized as having given her under the Pledging Tree. Serena took a deep breath and cut off a short strand. "You can tie the bag off with this, she'll love it."

Ash was taken aback by Serena's willingness to give him so much help for the gift, even though she clearly didn't realize it was for her. "I'm sure she will. Thanks so much for all your help, Serena. Where are you off to?"

Serena was already turning away, her eyes downcast. "Just gonna sit outside, get some fresh air."

Ash frowned, watching a deflated Serena walk away for the second time that day. He really hoped these cookies turned out well and improved her mood. Spurred by the thought, he turned to the dough, imitating Serena's technique to churn out twenty-two more of the round balls. None were as perfect as the Performer's, but they were close enough. He stuck the cookie tray into the oven, watching the timer closely. His mom had said he could wait eight minutes before really keeping an eye on them, but he didn't want to take any chances.

"Oooh, what's cooking, Ash?"

Ash turned to see Bonnie skipping into the kitchen, Pikachu in her arms. The Mouse Pokémon jumped from her grip onto the table and then to his shoulder, calling its name happily.

"Haha, hey Bonnie, Pikachu. I'm just some baking some sugar cookies."

Bonnie's eyes widened, and she ran to the oven, sticking her face up against the window. "You? Bake? Woah, they look pretty good. Did Serena help you?"

Ash set his jaw, disappointed at having been seen through so easily. "Yes... You can have some when they're done."

"Yay!"

Ash and Pikachu joined Bonnie at the oven window, watching intently as cracks formed on the cookies' surface and they took on a golden hue. He cleared Bonnie and Pikachu from the oven area and then carefully opened it, using an oven mitt to move the tray to the counter.

"Ooh, ooh, can I have one?"

Ash chuckled, closing the oven door and making sure to turn the heat off. "Not yet, Bonnie, you have to wait 'til they cool."

Despite his own warning, Ash was impatient. He wanted to present the cookies to Serena and see her reaction when she realized she was the intended recipient of his gift all along. He waited the minimum two minutes his mom had told him to and then started flipping cookies into the sheer bag Serena had given him.

"... four, five, six," Ash counted, shaking the heat off his fingers as he tied the bag off with the blue ribbon Serena had left him. "Ok, Pikachu, I'm gonna be right back, don't let Bonnie have any until they're cool, got it?"

Pikachu made a sound of agreement over Bonnie's protests. Ash just laughed, jogging out of the Pokémon Center to look for Serena. He observed the bag of cookies as he ran, wondering whether gifting them was really a big enough gesture considering all the fancier and more numerous baked goods Serena had gifted him.

"Gotta start somewhere, I guess," he mumbled, scanning the sunny area until he found a figure with honey blonde hair sitting on a hilltop nearby, a Fennekin at her side. He strode up the hill, adjusting his hat and clearing his throat as he reached the top.

Serena swiveled her head, bemusement in her face as she recognized him. "Ash? What are you doing here? Do you need more help with the cookies?"

Ash rubbed a finger under his nose uncertainly. He didn't know how to do this, but he wouldn't overcomplicate it.

"Here." Ash held the bag of sugar cookies out to Serena.

Serena took the bag, clearly not sure why it was being given to her.

"Oh, you finished them. They're still warm, even. But I wanted you to use this pouch to give the cookies to your friend. The girl you wanted to give the gift to."

Serena looked up at him seriously, and Ash gave her a wry smile, raising one eyebrow. Serena looked at him, then at the cookies, then back at him. Her eyes widened as she realized his meaning. The girl shot to her feet so fast that her hat almost fell off her head.

"It's for me! I'm the girl! It's for me?" Serena spoke excitedly, her face suffusing with joy. She looked to him for confirmation, and Ash felt himself blush under the glimmer of her hopeful eyes. He just nodded.

"It's for me! Hear that, Fennekin?" Serena picked up the Pokémon and hugged her, twirling happily.

"Fen, fennekin!"

Ash watched, a silly grin on his face. He'd hoped Serena would be happy, but he hadn't expected this. He'd given her six sugar cookies, and she was acting like he'd gifted her jewelry. It made him feel warm and gooey, yes, but it also made him very self-conscious. Serena always seemed to cherish his gestures and seem genuinely ecstatic at them, no matter how big or small. It was more goodwill than he deserved.

Ash backed away slowly from the still-celebrating Performer, walking back toward the Pokémon Center. He was glad Serena looked more upbeat now, but he realized he hadn't solved the root problem at all. Her reaction had just made him realize how lopsided their outward attitudes towards each other were. How could he tell whether Serena knew how much he appreciated her when all of his gestures, big or small, were met with the same maximal degree of jubilance?

Ash turned the question over in his head as he walked back into the Pokémon Center kitchen to clean up. It was quickly pushed to the back of his mind as he entered the room, however, as he was met by the sight of Bonnie and Pikachu, passed out on the floor.

Ash ran to their sides, alarmed.

"Bonnie! Pikachu! What happened? Who did this?"

Ash's heart started beating in his ears as he turned the two over, afraid of what he would see. Had Team Rocket ambushed the two while he was away?

"Ash..." Bonnie muttered, half a cookie in her hand and crumbs at the sides of her mouth. "I think you put salt in these cookies instead of sugar."

"Pika, pikachu..."

Ash looked between the two in disbelief, noting that Pikachu also had crumbs of cookie near his mouth. Finally processing that they were in no bodily danger, Ash stood up and shook his head, grabbing a sugar cookie from the tray.

"What are you guys talking about? There's no way –"

Ash stuck his tongue out as he bit into the cookie, his mouth suddenly dry and tingly at the explosion of salt. He spit the cookie into the sink, shivering and hanging his head.

"Ugh, you guys are right."

Ash's head snapped up suddenly. Serena.

After making sure Bonnie and Pikachu were alright, Ash booked it outside, sprinting up the side of the hill to reclaim the salt cookies before Serena ate them.

"Serena, wait!" Ash panted as he reached the hilltop.

Serena was still standing there, the bag he had given her in her hand. Only... it was half empty.

"You ate three of them?" Ash asked incredulously, wondering how the Performer had kept eating the disasters.

Serena was staring at him with saucer eyes, clearly not having expected him to come back so soon. She looked at the half-empty bag and back at him.

"It's not what it looks like, Ash! I mean, you never eat just one cookie, right?"

Ash furrowed his brow. She was embarrassed that she'd eaten multiple cookies?

"No, not that, Serena. How did you eat three? They were full of salt!"

Serena shook her head, confusion on her pretty features. "No way, they were sweet. Just like sugar cookies should be."

Ash crossed his arms. "You don't have to do that, Serena. I appreciate you always trying to prop me up, but I messed up this time, you can admit it."

Serena frowned stubbornly. "They were sweet. I liked them."

"I just tasted them. Bonnie and Pikachu did, too. I accidentally put salt in instead of sugar."

The Performer reached into the bag and pulled out another cookie uncertainly.

"Fen, fennekin!" The Fox Pokémon reared up on Serena's boots, volunteering to taste the cookie. Serena knelt down, feeding her half.

Fennekin chewed happily for a moment before her face turned blue and she turned over, legs in the air. Ash covered his face with a hand, wondering how many times he'd have to see someone taste his failed baking.

"See?" he emphasized, pointing at the Pokémon on the ground, who was now receiving a comforting belly rub from Serena. The Performer heard him and looked at the other half of the cookie in her hand. "Oh no, Serena, don't..."

Serena ignored him, popping the other half of the cookie in her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully, this time seeming to understand that he had indeed made a mistake. Nonetheless, she swallowed it and rose to full height.

"Ok, so you made one mistake. It happens to most first-time bakers. It's not a big deal, Ash."

"Salt is like... the opposite of sugar, Serena."

"You'll get it right next time."

Ash adjusted his cap, feeling glum. "Yeah... Anyway, lemme take those off your hands."

He reached out to take the pouch with the two remaining cookies, but Serena pulled it away from him quickly, holding them close to herself silently.

"Come on, Serena, you don't want those. I'm gonna throw them away."

"You made them for me," Serena said indignantly. "They're mine."

"They're a disaster! I'll make you more, so just throw those out."

"No, they're mine," Serena maintained.

"Why do they matter so much to you?" Ash's bafflement from earlier leaked into his question. "They're just cookies that I messed up."

"No," Serena said adamantly. "They're a gift from you. They're proof that... that you care about me."

Serena's fair skin flushed red as she said this, her eyes alternatingly meeting his and looking away. Ash, meanwhile, was incredulous.

"You need proof that I care about you?"

Serena's eyes settled on his, her blush intensifying. "I know you _care_ about me, but I want you to – Fennekin, don't!"

Ash glanced down to see Serena's starter at his feet, the notebook he'd seen Serena writing in earlier in her mouth. Ash knelt down and took it, patting the Pokémon's head.

"Oh gee, please don't think badly of me, Ash..."

Ash barely heard Serena, his attention already focused on the notebook in his hands. It was turned to an untitled page with rows of numbers scrawled in Serena's neat penmanship. Each row started with a date, then different combinations of "+2", "+3", "+4", and "+5", and eventually ending with the sum of the numbers before it. The sums in each row were then summed together vertically, and Serena had written the final sum at the bottom of the page: 53. Ash remembered Serena mentioning the number to Fennekin earlier. His eyes were also drawn to the last row in the tally, which was marked with yesterday's date and "+3 +3 = +6".

Ash jaw dropped as he looked up at Serena, whose face was filled with dreadful anticipation.

"This is a tally of Affection points... based on the Poké Puffs you've given me," he realized. Fennekin yipped in confirmation, and Serena pulled her hat down over her face in embarrassment.

"It's not what you think, Ash! I mean, it's exactly as you said, but... I wasn't trying to manipulate you! I just really wanted you to, you know... Wanted you to..."

"Show affection," Ash completed, dropping the notebook to his side and finding Serena's eyes. "That's why the cookies mean so much to you. Because you think the Poké Puffs are working. That I'm finally showing you affection."

Serena's face was beet red at this point, supposedly at hearing Ash say aloud all the things she'd been thinking. She hung her head. "I - I don't know what to say, Ash. Yes, but I see now that it was wrong. I tried to force you into something that wasn't naturally you, and that is so –"

"It wasn't wrong," Ash cut her off, feeling clear-headed for the first time all day. He'd been trying to find a subtle, roundabout way to show Serena his affection, when he should have just tackled this the way he was predisposed to tackling everything: head-on. " _I_ was wrong. Trying to reciprocate your gestures in such a half-baked way. Uh, no pun intended."

Serena shook her head strongly, still fixated on her own perceived transgression. "No, what I did was borderline crazy. I basically tried to force you to feel a certain way under the guise of giving you gifts. It –"

"It didn't work," Ash assured her, crossing the distance between them with large, confident strides. "There's no way it could've."

"R- Right," Serena agreed ambivalently. "Because you're not a Pokémon."

"No," Ash said emphatically. "It couldn't have worked because my affection was already maxed out."

Serena's big blue eyes grew even wider as she registered his words. Her voice came out a squeaky stammer. "Uh, no, that's not right, the max, I checked, it's 255, you're only at 53, 60 tops –"

Ash stopped her rambling by closing his lips over hers, pulling the slender girl into him to deepen the kiss. Serena wasted no time in reciprocating, resting her hands lightly on his chest as she kissed back hungrily. Ash could still taste the salt in her mouth, but this time it registered on his taste buds as a sensual zing rather than an unpleasant one. Serena's hands twisted to clench his shirt as she grew more impassioned, actively pushing her body into his as they indulged in each other's heat. When they pulled away, Serena let out a happy sigh. She hid her face in his chest, her ears red.

Fennekin ran around their legs, calling its name happily. Ash noticed something silver on the ground and realized Serena had finally let go of the gift bag containing the remainder of the cookies.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted that," the Performer mumbled against his chest.

Ash swallowed, overcome by Serena's admission. "Well, I hope it lived up to your expectations."

Serena shook her head slightly, and Ash raised his eyebrows.

"Your kisses are like cookies, Ash," Serena said sweetly, gazing up at him with burning cheeks and glittering eyes. "I can't ever have just one."

Ash laughed, and Serena leaned in and kissed him.


End file.
